lifesitenews--2020-05-27--New Pixar kids’ film centers on gay main character coming ‘out’ to parents

May 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Pixar featured its first homosexual main character in a new short film , “ Out.
” The film tells the story of a young man revealing to his parents that he is in a homosexual relationship .
Disney ’ s streaming service Disney+ announced the short film as “ [ t ] he latest heartwarming tale ” on Twitter .
The trailer shows the main character , Greg , looking at a picture of himself standing beside another man practicing telling his parents of his homosexuality .
“ Just look them in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dad , I ’ m… , ’ ” he says , as the doorbell rings and his parents walk in .
According to Entertainment Weekly , “ [ w ] ith a little nudge in the right direction from a pair of fairy god-pets — a magically fabulous dog and cat who ride in on a rainbow — Greg swaps bodies with his dog , Jim .
As he frantically tries to hide the evidence of his relationship from his mom in this new canine body , he quickly learns that maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all.
” “ Before Greg swaps bodies with Jim , he asks himself , defeated , ‘ What is wrong with me ?
’ After the swap , when his mother asks the same question of him , having seen him act like a dog , Greg replies , ‘ Nothing.
’ ” Pixar , which is part of Disney , was previously known for family-friendly movies like Toy Story , Finding Nemo , and Cars .
In recent years , both Disney and Pixar started pushing the homosexual agenda .
Pro-family advocates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which was released earlier this year , featured a purple cyclops police officer , Officer Specter , voiced by lesbian actress Lena Waithe , who talks about her “ girlfriend.
” The next superhero movie made by Marvel , which belongs to Disney , will feature a kiss between two men .
Actor Haaz Sleiman mentioned that it is important “ to show how loving and beautiful a queer family can be.
” Sleiman , who came to the United States from Lebanon when he was 21 , boasted of the kiss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a beautiful , very moving kiss .
Everyone cried on set.
” “ I just shot a Marvel film with the first openly gay superhero , The Eternals .
I ’ m married [ sic ] to the gay superhero Phastos , played by Atlanta ’ s Brian Tyree Henry , and we represent a gay family and have a child , ” he explained .
In addition to playing a homosexual character , Sleiman identifies as a homosexual himself .
Marvel specifically sought out an actor who is same-sex attracted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' film 'Onward ' for pushing LGBT agenda !
Sign the petition here .
According to an article published by MSN , “ [ i ] nclusion of a same-sex romance storyline in The Eternals comes after Marvel has been criticized for touting LGBTQ representation in past films without delivering more than a brief , negligible scene.
” The directors of Avengers : Endgame , a Marvel movie grossing $ 2.8 billion worldwide , had indicated that one of the characters in the 2019 movie would be a homosexual .
In the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directors , had a brief cameo appearance as a same-sex attracted character .
“ The character is an average guy who is part of a support group of people trying to move on from the grief of losing loved ones who vanished at the end of Avengers : Infinity War at the hands of Thanos .
He talks about going on his first date since losing his male partner .
It ’ s as simple as that , a blink-and-you ’ ll-miss-it moment , ” Deadline wrote .
In March 2019 , Marvel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said the world “ is ready ” for a homosexual superhero .
Alonso emphasized that Marvel is dedicated to diversity .
“ Why wouldn ’ t we be ?
Why wouldn ’ t we be ?
” she asked , according to Variety .
“ I ’ m so passionate about this , I ’ ve got to tell you .
Our entire success is based on people that are incredibly different .
Why wouldn ’ t we ?
Why would we only want to be recognized by only one type of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is diverse , is inclusive .
If we don ’ t do it that way for them , we will fail.
” Alonso went on to indicate an acceleration and strengthening of Marvel ’ s efforts to portray homosexual behavior as normal .
“ If we don ’ t put pedal to the metal on the diversity and the inclusivity , we will not have continued success .
Our determination is to have that for all of the people out there watching our movies , ” she said .
During this year ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO Bob Chapek claimed that the company is losing money not because of its promotion of the LGBT agenda .
According to NBC News , Chapek said , “ ‘ Disney believes in reflecting the diversity of its fanbase in its creative content.
’ He added that producing inclusive projects will only become an increased priority for the company in the future.
” “ We believe we want to tell stories that our audience wants to hear that reflects their lives , ” he said , attributing the lower stock price to the @ @ @

One review summarizes the film: 'As he frantically tries to hide the evidence of his relationship from his mom ... he quickly learns that maybe there's nothing to hide after all.'
May 26, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Pixar featured its first homosexual main character in a new short film, “Out.” The film tells the story of a young man revealing to his parents that he is in a homosexual relationship.
Disney’s streaming service Disney+ announced the short film as “[t]he latest heartwarming tale” on Twitter.
The trailer shows the main character, Greg, looking at a picture of himself standing beside another man practicing telling his parents of his homosexuality. “Just look them in the eyes and say, ‘Mom, Dad, I’m…,’” he says, as the doorbell rings and his parents walk in.
According to Entertainment Weekly, “[w]ith a little nudge in the right direction from a pair of fairy god-pets — a magically fabulous dog and cat who ride in on a rainbow — Greg swaps bodies with his dog, Jim. As he frantically tries to hide the evidence of his relationship from his mom in this new canine body, he quickly learns that maybe there’s nothing to hide after all.”
“Before Greg swaps bodies with Jim, he asks himself, defeated, ‘What is wrong with me?’ After the swap, when his mother asks the same question of him, having seen him act like a dog, Greg replies, ‘Nothing.’”
Pixar, which is part of Disney, was previously known for family-friendly movies like Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Cars. In recent years, both Disney and Pixar started pushing the homosexual agenda.
Pro-family advocates were dismayed at the fact that Onward, which was released earlier this year, featured a purple cyclops police officer, Officer Specter, voiced by lesbian actress Lena Waithe, who talks about her “girlfriend.”
The next superhero movie made by Marvel, which belongs to Disney, will feature a kiss between two men.
Actor Haaz Sleiman mentioned that it is important “to show how loving and beautiful a queer family can be.” Sleiman, who came to the United States from Lebanon when he was 21, boasted of the kiss between two men: “It’s a beautiful, very moving kiss. Everyone cried on set.”
“I just shot a Marvel film with the first openly gay superhero, The Eternals. I’m married [sic] to the gay superhero Phastos, played by Atlanta’s Brian Tyree Henry, and we represent a gay family and have a child,” he explained.
In addition to playing a homosexual character, Sleiman identifies as a homosexual himself. Marvel specifically sought out an actor who is same-sex attracted.
PETITION: Boycott Disney's new kids' film 'Onward' for pushing LGBT agenda! Sign the petition here.
According to an article published by MSN, “[i]nclusion of a same-sex romance storyline in The Eternals comes after Marvel has been criticized for touting LGBTQ representation in past films without delivering more than a brief, negligible scene.”
The directors of Avengers: Endgame, a Marvel movie grossing $2.8 billion worldwide, had indicated that one of the characters in the 2019 movie would be a homosexual. In the end, Joe Russo, one of the directors, had a brief cameo appearance as a same-sex attracted character.
“The character is an average guy who is part of a support group of people trying to move on from the grief of losing loved ones who vanished at the end of Avengers: Infinity War at the hands of Thanos. He talks about going on his first date since losing his male partner. It’s as simple as that, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment,” Deadline wrote.
In March 2019, Marvel’s production chief, Victoria Alonso, said the world “is ready” for a homosexual superhero.
Alonso emphasized that Marvel is dedicated to diversity. “Why wouldn’t we be? Why wouldn’t we be?” she asked, according to Variety.
“I’m so passionate about this, I’ve got to tell you. Our entire success is based on people that are incredibly different. Why wouldn’t we? Why would we only want to be recognized by only one type of person? Our audience is global, is diverse, is inclusive. If we don’t do it that way for them, we will fail.”
Alonso went on to indicate an acceleration and strengthening of Marvel’s efforts to portray homosexual behavior as normal.
“If we don’t put pedal to the metal on the diversity and the inclusivity, we will not have continued success. Our determination is to have that for all of the people out there watching our movies,” she said.
During this year’s annual meeting of shareholders, Disney CEO Bob Chapek claimed that the company is losing money not because of its promotion of the LGBT agenda.
According to NBC News, Chapek said, “‘Disney believes in reflecting the diversity of its fanbase in its creative content.’ He added that producing inclusive projects will only become an increased priority for the company in the future.”
“We believe we want to tell stories that our audience wants to hear that reflects their lives,” he said, attributing the lower stock price to the coronavirus pandemic.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-27--Archbishop Viganò: Dictatorships arise because not enough voices oppose them

May 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò has responded to a German Rabbi , Jehoschua Ahrens , who called the Viganò Appeal concerning the corona crisis and its dangers for constitutional liberties a “ shock , ” adding that he is glad that the German bishops have distanced themselves from it .
The Italian prelate defended issuing the May 7 appeal , stating : “ I think it is the duty of each one of us to express our concerns about a situation that , taking advantage of the Covid crisis , goes far beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nations the deprivation of constitutional freedoms.
” Archbishop Viganò warned that recent German history has much to teach about the rise of a “ hellish dictatorship ” that few opposed and spoke out against at the time it was happening .
“ There was a time when , with the obedience of the masses , a hellish dictatorship committed a very serious crime , making itself responsible for the deportation and death of millions of innocent people , only because of their faith and line of descent , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in power and remained silent about their crimes ; even then doctors and scientists lent their work to a delusional plan of domination ; even then those who dared to raise their voices were accused of ‘ conspiracy theories.
’ One had to wait until the end of the Second World War to discover with horror the truth about which many had hitherto remained silent , ” he added .
The Archbishop warned that those who today “ delegitimize ” the Appeal as an expression of “ conspiracy theories ” do not “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire human family is exposed.
” “ But I am certain that both Catholics and all men of good will – and among them I think I can include the children of Abraham – have at heart the greater glory of God , the respect for the dignity of individuals , and the freedoms of peoples , ” he said .
Rabbi Ahrens ’ criticism of Viganò ’ s Appeal was reported on May 20 by Katholisch.de , the German bishops ' official news website .
The Rabbi ’ s original words first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Katholisch.de especially highlighted the following words of the Rabbi concerning the so-called “ conspiracy theories ” : “ We have known for some time that there are people within the churches who adhere to such theories .
But now they have the courage to express these opinions even more openly.
” While stressing the good collaboration with the Catholic Church in Germany , Ahrens points out that there is still a “ minority ” among the Catholics in Germany who have conspiracy theories .
While insisting that Jews themselves are less “ prone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ we know , after all , that in general these theories are about us.
” While rejecting the idea that God is punishing us with this corona crisis , Rabbi Ahrens points out that “ it is an intention of Jewry : to turn a negative into a positive , to turn a curse into a blessing , ” that is to say , to learn lessons from this crisis .
Archbishop Viganò ’ s response to the Rabbi was only covered in part by Katholisch.de ( adding a link to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the post ) , despite the Archbishop asking that his letter be published in full .
Katholisch.de did not even mention that they received the letter from the Italian prelate with this request .
LifeSiteNews is pleased to provide the full letter below .
The May 7 Viganò Appeal– which was also signed by Cardinals Gerhard Müller , Joseph Zen and Janis Pujats , as well as Bishops Athanasius Schneider and Joseph Strickland – had called into question the world-wide response of lockdowns and strong restrictions of freedoms of citizens as measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this Appeal , among whom are also journalists , experts , and other clergy , showed concern for the Church and the world that the COVID-19 pandemic is being used as a “ pretext ” by world leaders to “ control ” people , strip them of their fundamental rights , while providing a “ disturbing prelude to the realization of a world government beyond all control.
” They also reminded the public of the liberty of the Catholic Church who “ firmly asserts her autonomy to govern , worship , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state has not the authority to decide over church closures .
So far , more than 51,000 people have signed this document .
Full letter by Archbishop Viganò in response to Rabbi Ahrens : Dear Rabbi Ahrens , Since I have been criticized for my Appeal for the Church and the world , I ask Katholisch.de to give me permission to answer you .
I must tell you , Dr. Ahrens , that I am not a little surprised by your words when you say : “ We have known for some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ churches who adhere to such theories .
But now they have the courage to express these opinions even more openly.
” I think it is the duty of each one of us to express our concerns about a situation that , taking advantage of the Covid crisis , goes far beyond reasonable safety measures , imposing on entire nations the deprivation of constitutional freedoms : this may not have happened in Germany , but it has certainly happened in many countries .
I ask you , dear Rabbi Ahrens : in your opinion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oneself freely , or are there subjects that can not be discussed anymore in a civil manner ?
If you can express your disagreement with the content of the Appeal , why should “ people within the churches ” not be entitled to express themselves freely , as well ?
And why do you think that one would need to “ have courage ” in order to do so , as if it were a matter of mere rantings without any reference to reality ?
To dismiss these concerns – which have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – as “ conspiracy theories ” does not seem to me a constructive attitude : especially if one does not have the merit of disproving what is considered untrue .
I therefore ask you : in what , specifically , do you disagree with the text of the Appeal ?
What in the Appeal represents a “ shock ” for you ?
Believe me : I would have never thought that the Appeal could offend you ; on the other hand , why should a Rabbi himself feel criticized when there is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Messiah that Israel awaits is Rex pacificus , Princeps pacis , Pater futuri saeculi [ King of Peace , Prince of Peace , Father of the world to come ] : not a tyrant without morals who dominates the world by subjugating men as slaves .
This rather applies to the Antichrist .
Let us now come to the spiritual significance of Covid .
In the Old Testament there are many examples of punishments sent to the Chosen People by God , and the Prophets many times warned the Jews to abandon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the pagans , and to remain faithful to the one true God .
I recall here the words of the Prophet Jeremiah , after the burning of Jerusalem by Babylonian troops in 585 B.C .
: “ Her adversaries have taken over , her enemies prosper ; for the Lord has afflicted her for her countless sins ” ( Lam .
1:5 ) .
This vision , which the Church of Christ shares , shows us a just and merciful God , who rewards the good and punishes the wicked ; who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disobedient children , to bring them back to follow His holy Law .
For this reason , “ turning the negative into the positive , turning a curse into a blessing ” is achieved by recognizing that one has committed a sin , that one has broken the covenant with God , that one has deserved His chastisements .
Then the epidemic also becomes an opportunity to return to the Lord , worship Him in His holy temple , follow His precepts .
There was a time when , with the obedience of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very serious crime , making itself responsible for the deportation and death of millions of innocent people , only because of their faith and line of descent .
Even then the mainstream media praised those in power and remained silent about their crimes ; even then doctors and scientists lent their work to a delusional plan of domination ; even then those who dared to raise their voices were accused of “ conspiracy theories.
” One had to wait until the end of the Second World War to discover with horror the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silent .
I am sure that those who today delegitimize the Appeal as an expression of “ conspiracy theories ” do not realize the real dangers to which the entire human family is exposed .
But I am certain that both Catholics and all men of good will – and among them , I think I can include the children of Abraham – have at heart the greater glory of God , the respect for the dignity of individuals , and the freedoms of peoples .
Beatus populus , cujus Dominus Deus ejus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 , Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord

May 26, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò has responded to a German Rabbi, Jehoschua Ahrens, who called the Viganò Appeal concerning the corona crisis and its dangers for constitutional liberties a “shock,” adding that he is glad that the German bishops have distanced themselves from it.
The Italian prelate defended issuing the May 7 appeal, stating: “I think it is the duty of each one of us to express our concerns about a situation that, taking advantage of the Covid crisis, goes far beyond reasonable safety measures, imposing on entire nations the deprivation of constitutional freedoms.”
Archbishop Viganò warned that recent German history has much to teach about the rise of a “hellish dictatorship” that few opposed and spoke out against at the time it was happening.
“There was a time when, with the obedience of the masses, a hellish dictatorship committed a very serious crime, making itself responsible for the deportation and death of millions of innocent people, only because of their faith and line of descent,” he said.
“Even then the mainstream media praised those in power and remained silent about their crimes; even then doctors and scientists lent their work to a delusional plan of domination; even then those who dared to raise their voices were accused of ‘conspiracy theories.’ One had to wait until the end of the Second World War to discover with horror the truth about which many had hitherto remained silent,” he added.
The Archbishop warned that those who today “delegitimize” the Appeal as an expression of “conspiracy theories” do not “realize the real dangers to which the entire human family is exposed.”
“But I am certain that both Catholics and all men of good will – and among them I think I can include the children of Abraham – have at heart the greater glory of God, the respect for the dignity of individuals, and the freedoms of peoples,” he said.
Rabbi Ahrens’ criticism of Viganò’s Appeal was reported on May 20 by Katholisch.de, the German bishops' official news website. The Rabbi’s original words first appeared in the newspaper Jüdische Allgemeine.
Katholisch.de especially highlighted the following words of the Rabbi concerning the so-called “conspiracy theories”:
“We have known for some time that there are people within the churches who adhere to such theories. But now they have the courage to express these opinions even more openly.”
While stressing the good collaboration with the Catholic Church in Germany, Ahrens points out that there is still a “minority” among the Catholics in Germany who have conspiracy theories. While insisting that Jews themselves are less “prone to conspiracy theories,” he states that “we know, after all, that in general these theories are about us.”
While rejecting the idea that God is punishing us with this corona crisis, Rabbi Ahrens points out that “it is an intention of Jewry: to turn a negative into a positive, to turn a curse into a blessing,” that is to say, to learn lessons from this crisis.
Archbishop Viganò’s response to the Rabbi was only covered in part by Katholisch.de (adding a link to the full letter only in the end of the post), despite the Archbishop asking that his letter be published in full. Katholisch.de did not even mention that they received the letter from the Italian prelate with this request. LifeSiteNews is pleased to provide the full letter below.
The May 7 Viganò Appeal– which was also signed by Cardinals Gerhard Müller, Joseph Zen and Janis Pujats, as well as Bishops Athanasius Schneider and Joseph Strickland – had called into question the world-wide response of lockdowns and strong restrictions of freedoms of citizens as measures against the coronavirus outbreak.
The signatories of this Appeal, among whom are also journalists, experts, and other clergy, showed concern for the Church and the world that the COVID-19 pandemic is being used as a “pretext” by world leaders to “control” people, strip them of their fundamental rights, while providing a “disturbing prelude to the realization of a world government beyond all control.” They also reminded the public of the liberty of the Catholic Church who “firmly asserts her autonomy to govern, worship, and teach,” thus making clear that the state has not the authority to decide over church closures. So far, more than 51,000 people have signed this document.
***
Full letter by Archbishop Viganò in response to Rabbi Ahrens:
Dear Rabbi Ahrens,
Since I have been criticized for my Appeal for the Church and the world, I ask Katholisch.de to give me permission to answer you.
I must tell you, Dr. Ahrens, that I am not a little surprised by your words when you say: “We have known for some time that there are people within the churches who adhere to such theories. But now they have the courage to express these opinions even more openly.”
I think it is the duty of each one of us to express our concerns about a situation that, taking advantage of the Covid crisis, goes far beyond reasonable safety measures, imposing on entire nations the deprivation of constitutional freedoms: this may not have happened in Germany, but it has certainly happened in many countries.
I ask you, dear Rabbi Ahrens: in your opinion, is it still permissible to express oneself freely, or are there subjects that cannot be discussed anymore in a civil manner? If you can express your disagreement with the content of the Appeal, why should “people within the churches” not be entitled to express themselves freely, as well? And why do you think that one would need to “have courage” in order to do so, as if it were a matter of mere rantings without any reference to reality?
To dismiss these concerns – which have been expressed, moreover, by reputable personalities – as “conspiracy theories” does not seem to me a constructive attitude: especially if one does not have the merit of disproving what is considered untrue. I therefore ask you: in what, specifically, do you disagree with the text of the Appeal? What in the Appeal represents a “shock” for you?
Believe me: I would have never thought that the Appeal could offend you; on the other hand, why should a Rabbi himself feel criticized when there is now talk of the New World Order? The Messiah that Israel awaits is Rex pacificus, Princeps pacis, Pater futuri saeculi [King of Peace, Prince of Peace, Father of the world to come]: not a tyrant without morals who dominates the world by subjugating men as slaves. This rather applies to the Antichrist.
Let us now come to the spiritual significance of Covid. In the Old Testament there are many examples of punishments sent to the Chosen People by God, and the Prophets many times warned the Jews to abandon idolatry, and not to contaminate themselves with the pagans, and to remain faithful to the one true God. I recall here the words of the Prophet Jeremiah, after the burning of Jerusalem by Babylonian troops in 585 B.C.: “Her adversaries have taken over, her enemies prosper; for the Lord has afflicted her for her countless sins” (Lam. 1:5).
This vision, which the Church of Christ shares, shows us a just and merciful God, who rewards the good and punishes the wicked; who like a loving Father punishes also His disobedient children, to bring them back to follow His holy Law. For this reason, “turning the negative into the positive, turning a curse into a blessing” is achieved by recognizing that one has committed a sin, that one has broken the covenant with God, that one has deserved His chastisements. Then the epidemic also becomes an opportunity to return to the Lord, worship Him in His holy temple, follow His precepts.
There was a time when, with the obedience of the masses, a hellish dictatorship committed a very serious crime, making itself responsible for the deportation and death of millions of innocent people, only because of their faith and line of descent. Even then the mainstream media praised those in power and remained silent about their crimes; even then doctors and scientists lent their work to a delusional plan of domination; even then those who dared to raise their voices were accused of “conspiracy theories.” One had to wait until the end of the Second World War to discover with horror the truth about which many had hitherto remained silent.
I am sure that those who today delegitimize the Appeal as an expression of “conspiracy theories” do not realize the real dangers to which the entire human family is exposed. But I am certain that both Catholics and all men of good will – and among them, I think I can include the children of Abraham – have at heart the greater glory of God, the respect for the dignity of individuals, and the freedoms of peoples. Beatus populus, cujus Dominus Deus ejus (Ps 143:15).
+ Carlo Maria Viganò, Archbishop, Apostolic Nuncio
May 22, 2020, Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord
Translation by LifeSite's Dr. Maike Hickson


lifesitenews--2020-05-27--Trudeau to fund COVID-19 ‘contact tracing’ programs

OTTAWA , May 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will fund provincial efforts to ramp up COVID-19 testing , the tracking of contacts of individuals who test positive , and the sharing of these data across the country .
Testing , contact tracing , and data-sharing are all essential to reopening the economy and allowing Canadians to travel across the country , Trudeau said in his daily briefing last Friday .
“ In order for people to move around freely and start getting back to normal life , we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus and isolate it , ” he said .
“ I ’ ve told the premiers that the federal government is here to support , facilitate and fund this important work.
” “ Contact tracing ” refers to the practice of government officials tracking individuals who have been in contact with those who test positive for COVID-19 in order to make sure they too are tested and isolated .
“ We need to get in touch with everyone who may have been exposed to the virus to make sure they quarantine and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Trudeau said .
PETITION : No to mandatory contact tracing and government surveillance for the coronavirus !
Sign the petition here .
The federal government has public servants who can make up to 3,600 phone calls a day , seven days a week , to track contacts .
Statistics Canada has also provided 1,700 interviewers who can make 20,000 contact tracing calls per day , he said .
“ These federal resources are available to assist provinces and territories with any surges , or backlogs or challenges they have in contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracing depends on people getting tested for the virus , and Trudeau urged provinces to ramp up on that as well .
Canada has the capacity to test 60,000 people per day for COVID-19 but has been averaging about 28,000 tests per day , he said .
“ We need to continue scaling up our testing capacity so we can quickly identify new cases and isolate them .
We ’ re working with provinces and territories to expand testing by procuring things like reagents and swabs.
” The federal government has also been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to all provinces to determine what their plan is on contact tracing , what exactly they are doing and whether or not they need more help , ” said Trudeau .
“ We certainly hope to hear back from the provinces that could need this quickly , to tell us whether and how they want us to help .
A number of provinces have , some have not yet , ” he said .
`` We ’ re already helping to make calls in Ontario and stand ready to help anywhere else.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” one particular contact tracing smartphone app for national use , Trudeau said in response to a reporter ’ s questions .
Apple and Google collaborated in developing smartphone technology that automatically notifies people that they may have been exposed to the coronavirus , CBC reported .
The software , released last week , uses Bluetooth wireless technology to detect when someone who downloaded a tracing app has spent time near another app user who later tested positive for the virus .
Countries can use the software to develop their own contact tracing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week that it was the first to launch a coronavirus contact tracing app incorporating the Apple and Google technology , the BBC reported .
“ Around the world there have been a number of different apps developed , Singapore , Australia , other places .
One of the challenges that those apps have encountered is that it has to sit in the foreground of your phone and drains the battery , ” Trudeau said Friday .
“ That ’ s why the fix that Apple and Google are talking about bringing in in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important as a base for an effective contact tracing or exposure notification app.
” Ontario premier Doug Ford said Friday that his province is looking for an app suitable to its needs and that respects privacy , but that Ontario will join in a nationwide smartphone app program , CTV News reported .
“ When we fully reopen the economy and people are flying , let ’ s say from Vancouver to Toronto to Calgary … those apps have to be able to talk to each other , ” he said .
Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief public health officer , commented that apps are not a “ silver bullet ” and might not necessarily detect infection accurately and that telephoning should remain an key part of Canada ’ s contact tracing strategy , reported CBC .
Critics have warned since the outset of the pandemic that governments could use the COVID-19 crisis to justify violating citizens ’ fundamental freedoms and usher in a surveillance state .
Alberta was the first Canadian province to launch a contact tracing app that people download voluntarily , and Jay Cameron , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Constitutional Freedoms ( JCCF ) , told LifeSiteNews at the time that the legal group is keeping an eye on government-issued contact tracing apps .
“ We are watching carefully and remain concerned about the slippery slope and government comfort with accessing and utilizing personal data , ” said Cameron .
“ Monitoring someone ’ s whereabouts using their cell phones is , of course , a search , ” he noted .
Carol Brown of the American Thinker pointed out the dangers of contact tracing plans , which have been introduced in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Under the guise of concern for public health , contact tracing allows the left to continue their totalitarian advance , as the federal government leaves it up to states to develop these intrusive measures , ” she wrote .
“ Opening up the economy won ’ t solve this deeper problem of fascists on the move infiltrating every aspect of our lives .
”

'In order for people to move around freely and start getting back to normal life, we have to improve our ability to quickly pinpoint the virus and isolate it,' the prime minister declared.
OTTAWA, May 26, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will fund provincial efforts to ramp up COVID-19 testing, the tracking of contacts of individuals who test positive, and the sharing of these data across the country.
Testing, contact tracing, and data-sharing are all essential to reopening the economy and allowing Canadians to travel across the country, Trudeau said in his daily briefing last Friday.
“In order for people to move around freely and start getting back to normal life, we have to improve our ability to quickly pinpoint the virus and isolate it,” he said.
“I’ve told the premiers that the federal government is here to support, facilitate and fund this important work.”
“Contact tracing” refers to the practice of government officials tracking individuals who have been in contact with those who test positive for COVID-19 in order to make sure they too are tested and isolated.
“We need to get in touch with everyone who may have been exposed to the virus to make sure they quarantine and monitor themselves for symptoms or get tested,” Trudeau said.
PETITION: No to mandatory contact tracing and government surveillance for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
The federal government has public servants who can make up to 3,600 phone calls a day, seven days a week, to track contacts. Statistics Canada has also provided 1,700 interviewers who can make 20,000 contact tracing calls per day, he said.
“These federal resources are available to assist provinces and territories with any surges, or backlogs or challenges they have in contact tracing,” he added.
Contact tracing depends on people getting tested for the virus, and Trudeau urged provinces to ramp up on that as well.
Canada has the capacity to test 60,000 people per day for COVID-19 but has been averaging about 28,000 tests per day, he said.
“We need to continue scaling up our testing capacity so we can quickly identify new cases and isolate them. We’re working with provinces and territories to expand testing by procuring things like reagents and swabs.”
The federal government has also been “reaching out over the past week to all provinces to determine what their plan is on contact tracing, what exactly they are doing and whether or not they need more help,” said Trudeau.
“We certainly hope to hear back from the provinces that could need this quickly, to tell us whether and how they want us to help. A number of provinces have, some have not yet,” he said.
“We’re already helping to make calls in Ontario and stand ready to help anywhere else.”
The Liberals will be “strongly recommending” one particular contact tracing smartphone app for national use, Trudeau said in response to a reporter’s questions. Apple and Google collaborated in developing smartphone technology that automatically notifies people that they may have been exposed to the coronavirus, CBC reported.
The software, released last week, uses Bluetooth wireless technology to detect when someone who downloaded a tracing app has spent time near another app user who later tested positive for the virus.
Countries can use the software to develop their own contact tracing apps. A Swiss team announced this week that it was the first to launch a coronavirus contact tracing app incorporating the Apple and Google technology, the BBC reported.
“Around the world there have been a number of different apps developed, Singapore, Australia, other places. One of the challenges that those apps have encountered is that it has to sit in the foreground of your phone and drains the battery,” Trudeau said Friday.
“That’s why the fix that Apple and Google are talking about bringing in in the beginning of June will be extremely important as a base for an effective contact tracing or exposure notification app.”
Ontario premier Doug Ford said Friday that his province is looking for an app suitable to its needs and that respects privacy, but that Ontario will join in a nationwide smartphone app program, CTV News reported.
“When we fully reopen the economy and people are flying, let’s say from Vancouver to Toronto to Calgary … those apps have to be able to talk to each other,” he said.
Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada’s deputy chief public health officer, commented that apps are not a “silver bullet” and might not necessarily detect infection accurately and that telephoning should remain an key part of Canada’s contact tracing strategy, reported CBC.
Critics have warned since the outset of the pandemic that governments could use the COVID-19 crisis to justify violating citizens’ fundamental freedoms and usher in a surveillance state.
Alberta was the first Canadian province to launch a contact tracing app that people download voluntarily, and Jay Cameron, a lawyer for the Alberta-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), told LifeSiteNews at the time that the legal group is keeping an eye on government-issued contact tracing apps.
“We are watching carefully and remain concerned about the slippery slope and government comfort with accessing and utilizing personal data,” said Cameron.
“Monitoring someone’s whereabouts using their cell phones is, of course, a search,” he noted.
Carol Brown of the American Thinker pointed out the dangers of contact tracing plans, which have been introduced in Michigan, Washington, and Massachusetts.
“Under the guise of concern for public health, contact tracing allows the left to continue their totalitarian advance, as the federal government leaves it up to states to develop these intrusive measures,” she wrote.
“Opening up the economy won’t solve this deeper problem of fascists on the move infiltrating every aspect of our lives.”
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lifesitenews--2020-05-28--These nuns are giving tens of thousands of broken children home, hope, happiness

CHALCO , Mexico , May 27 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Last week , I was deep into the Mexican interior on a long and radio-less car ride from Guadalajara to Chalco .
My traveling companions were tired and quiet as we passed brushfires high up on mountains , lonesome haciendas , and sombreroed cowboys minding slender cattle .
Within that quiet place , my mind traveled to what I ’ d absorbed the previous two weeks .
I considered the Sisters of Mary and the many thousands of young men and women I ’ d encountered in Catholic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d glimpsed things no one sees .
I ’ d witnessed what seemed to be miracles .
After an hour or so , though , of some of the warmer remembrances , I found myself considering the tension between who they are and who I am not .
As rusted rectangular road signs pointed to unpronounceable villages , I looked inward .
These once tormented children knew resurrected joy , and conversely , the sisters knew the life that came from dying — and I was just a Catholic man doing okay in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settle on the sisters and their crucified path in life to Heaven .
No corner of their hearts was left for themselves , I knew ; they ’ d surrendered their lives to stand at the iron gate of children ’ s damaged souls .
Every child enters the community shouldering a gargantuan cross — the sisters throw out their arms to bear its weight , until , like Simon , the cross becomes theirs .
I began to pray : Dear Lord , have mercy on me .
These little ones are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pain ; they were dead and now alive .
These humble sisters are the answer : they were alive , and now they die .
Don ’ t let me float insufficiently in the middle .
How does one end up in Mexican scrubland , praying in a car , during a pandemic ?
In April , I had the thought to travel to Chalco to be with the Sisters of Mary .
The idea was simple .
With Americans video-conferencing in pajama bottoms , I wanted to be in the company of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to discover as blue-collar martyrs .
Their congregation is scattered throughout South and Central America and the Far East like spilled chalices of the Lord ’ s Blood .
They are bright Alleluias set into devastated souls .
It is grueling work .
The Sisters of Mary are considered by many to be the hardest-working congregation in the world .
They wouldn ’ t exist without the Father of Orphans , Fr .
Al .
I wrote a book in 2019 , The Priests We Need to Save the Church , that saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discovered this priest — Venerable Aloysius Schwartz .
You likely have not heard of “ Fr .
Al , ” though he is as impactful as any priest — perhaps any man , save Jesus — who ’ s ever lived .
One night in a chapel in weather-miserable Banneux , Belgium , the Washington , D.C. native consecrated his life to the Virgin of the Poor .
It was at her apparition site in the mid-1950s where the lone American seminarian in Belgium made a vow , a vow to spend the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the disregarded , and the poor .
War-decimated Korea was his launch point .
On December 8 , 1957 , he looked into the faces of the Korean poor and for the first time saw that “ eyes burned with a fierce , scared , hunted-animal expression.
” It haunted him , so he worked at its removal .
For the remaining 35 years of a life cut short by Lou Gehrig ’ s Disease , he begged for hundreds of millions of dollars to build hospitals , dormitories , orphanages , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sisters of Mary and an Order of Brothers who would also agree to turn their lives over for the poor .
“ It requires faith of the deepest kind to see God present in the person of the poor , ” he wrote during his first year in Busan , Korea .
“ It requires the faith of the centurion , for example , who could look up at the crucified figure of Christ upon the cross ... who was a leper , as one struck by God , and say , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God.
’ ” Fr .
Al knew that his vocation would lack spiritual vibrancy , like governmental social justice departments , without it being rooted to the Virgin of the Poor and “ Christ , the Starved Man.
” So he did what he thought they would ask of him ; he committed to mortifications and an intense devotion to the Eucharist and to prayer to act as seedbeds .
He daily prayed the rosary and his Office .
He made it a point to be available to the poor at all times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ image of the priest I had begged for in my book — except he broke the bank .
He ’ d managed to set up a schematic that pulled hundreds of thousands of the poor from poverty , many of whom lived in trash dumps with names like Smokey Mountain and Ragpickers Camp in Korea and the Philippines .
Where Mother Teresa picked the dying man off the street , Fr .
Al made sure he was never there .
Boystown would help make the man an accountant , a masonry contractor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for “ man fully alive ” were limitless to Fr .
Al .
Before his death , he handed the baton to his spiritual daughters , the Sisters of Mary .
As a writer eager to hold Fr .
Al ’ s life up for the world to see , I wanted to see his heirlooms at work .
I convinced Sr. Margie Cheong , the Korean-born sister and head of the Latin American communities of Mexico , Guatemala , Brazil , and Honduras , to grant me access into their communities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ early May , I became subject to a new rite of passage at a nearby clinic — a pair of three-inch wooden Q-tips were pushed into the upper reaches of my nasal passages .
The procedure would deem me COVID-free .
“ All for Padre Al , ” I whined to Sherlyn , my translator , through watery eyes .
Once cleared of the virus , I entered past the iron gates and high stone walls of Chalco and became instantly flabbergasted .
This was the first thing I saw : a fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teenage girls in tow .
Each looked to be smiling .
Because American sensibilities were not yet shed , Rocky and those hundreds of city kids who tried to keep up with him as he leapt Philadelphia park benches came to mind .
To my left , a fully habited sister was full-tilt on a soccer field filled with girls .
As the day unfolded , I became lifted into a different dimension , one unseen in America .
For starters , 3,300 teenage girls were without cell phones .
They prayed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chorus that reverberated like orchestral hives of bees .
As the setting blood-red sun shot its radiant light against twin snow-capped volcanoes in the distance , I watched the girls press into the gymnasium for catechism .
An hour later , they poured out like happy saints , smiling , waving , and welcoming the stranger in their midst .
The volcanoes seemed to stand prouder then , like watchful fathers admiring their daughters in the fading light .
It would have been okay if time had stopped right then .
A few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Our Lady of Fatima , the 3,000-strong caravan knelt on hardwood before the exposed Blessed Sacrament for the better part of an hour .
I didn ’ t observe any fidgeting ; it was as if they were kneeling on cashmere-line pillows .
None , I saw , rubbed her knees as they exited the Noah ’ s ark–sized gymnasium .
I was reminded of the Major League Baseball player who , after getting hit in the forearm with a mid-90s fastball , doesn ’ t give the pitcher the satisfaction of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chalco and Boystown in Guadalajara are saving grounds , sanctified fields of goodwill and resurrection .
Children throb with a startling type of joy , heightened by the knowledge that they were lifted from harsh lives of poverty .
It took a while to figure out why the teenagers addressed each of the sisters as Madre .
“ We are spiritual mothers to them first , ” a sister told me .
“ They have been through too much.
” Many have worked fields , barefoot , at the age of 8 or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food on the table .
Almost all have had the fear of not knowing the whereabouts of the next meal .
Zayra , one of them , revealed to me that she was chased an hour up Loma Larga Mountain by a human-trafficker .
Her grandfather , on that mountain where she lived , was drunk most nights .
“ I would kneel in front of the statue of Mary and pray the fights and drinking would stop , ” she said .
Antonina , an orphan , told me her father was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mom , she believes , burned to death .
But oh , how Zayra and Antonina smile now — not a painted-on Catholic Branch Davidian type , but a smile that speaks of how the mothers have placed Christ back into His rightful place in their scraped up souls .
For the five years the sisters will have them , they educate , nourish , catechize , play with , jog with , and pray with them ; they do not stop .
The eloquence of their maternal love — given ever so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ layer after layer of wounds and horrors too graphic for this writing .
Each of the sisters greeted me as mothers do their sons arriving home from war — but I knew I was just in the way .
Their duty was the children .
“ Time here is like Magdalene ’ s perfume ; it is precious for us , ” Sr. Margie said .
“ We give all we are to them.
” The sisters know the secret : persevering love stirs hearts to healing .
I had befriended cheery-eyed Brazilian-born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , who prepared my meal each evening .
In a moment of boldness , I asked what she had yet to die to - and a sudden curtain of awkward silence dropped .
Barking dogs in the countryside became the only sound .
Her hesitant eyes told distinctly different stories : her self-consciousness at being caught in the teeth of her weakness and of her desire to fully expose it .
Finally — “ I am sensitive , ” she whispered with the awkward smile of a kindergartner at her first picture-taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give that up , too .
My thoughts , my hurts — it is all nothing .
I must die to everything to be filled with Christ .
“ To live poverty means that I must accept a certain death ... now , it is not easy for me [ Sr. Marinei laughs as the tension breaks ] , but I know I need to die several times a day .
I need to leave behind everything that I am .
“ But that is the Gospel — I leave everything — mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is what Jesus asks .
It is difficult , but these difficulties are great gifts .
Because they allow me to offer myself fully to Him and these girls.
” This statement .
The crucified sisters who persevere as steady tides of unconditional love .
These resurrected girls , these resurrected boys who lay down their crosses .
It is Jesus Christ , spread out everywhere .
And it is within this holy paradox of living and dying — this surrendering of torment ( for children ) and comfort ( the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasonable thing in the world .
Note : World Villages for Children ( WVC ) is a non-profit organization that financially supports the Sisters of Mary as they help children break free from a life of poverty .
WVC provides food , shelter , clothing , medical expenses , Catholic education , and vocational training to over 20,000 children in Boystowns and Girlstowns in seven different countries around the world .
If you would like to donate to World Villages for Children , please go to www.worldvillages.org/donate Kevin Wells is a Catholic speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas Wells Society for Vocations , and author of the bestselling book The Priests We Need to Save the Church ( Sophia Institute Press , 2019 ) .

How does one end up in Mexican scrubland, praying in a car, during a pandemic? Let me tell you how, and the miracles I've seen.
CHALCO, Mexico, May 27, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Last week, I was deep into the Mexican interior on a long and radio-less car ride from Guadalajara to Chalco. My traveling companions were tired and quiet as we passed brushfires high up on mountains, lonesome haciendas, and sombreroed cowboys minding slender cattle. Within that quiet place, my mind traveled to what I’d absorbed the previous two weeks.
I considered the Sisters of Mary and the many thousands of young men and women I’d encountered in Catholic Mexican Boystowns and Girlstowns. I’d glimpsed things no one sees. I’d witnessed what seemed to be miracles.
After an hour or so, though, of some of the warmer remembrances, I found myself considering the tension between who they are and who I am not. As rusted rectangular road signs pointed to unpronounceable villages, I looked inward. These once tormented children knew resurrected joy, and conversely, the sisters knew the life that came from dying — and I was just a Catholic man doing okay in the world.
My thoughts began to settle on the sisters and their crucified path in life to Heaven. No corner of their hearts was left for themselves, I knew; they’d surrendered their lives to stand at the iron gate of children’s damaged souls. Every child enters the community shouldering a gargantuan cross — the sisters throw out their arms to bear its weight, until, like Simon, the cross becomes theirs. I began to pray: Dear Lord, have mercy on me. These little ones are the answer to the world’s pain; they were dead and now alive. These humble sisters are the answer: they were alive, and now they die. Don’t let me float insufficiently in the middle.
How does one end up in Mexican scrubland, praying in a car, during a pandemic?
In April, I had the thought to travel to Chalco to be with the Sisters of Mary. The idea was simple. With Americans video-conferencing in pajama bottoms, I wanted to be in the company of those whom I’d recently come to discover as blue-collar martyrs. Their congregation is scattered throughout South and Central America and the Far East like spilled chalices of the Lord’s Blood. They are bright Alleluias set into devastated souls. It is grueling work. The Sisters of Mary are considered by many to be the hardest-working congregation in the world. They wouldn’t exist without the Father of Orphans, Fr. Al.
I wrote a book in 2019, The Priests We Need to Save the Church, that saw some success, and afterward, I discovered this priest — Venerable Aloysius Schwartz. You likely have not heard of “Fr. Al,” though he is as impactful as any priest — perhaps any man, save Jesus — who’s ever lived.
One night in a chapel in weather-miserable Banneux, Belgium, the Washington, D.C. native consecrated his life to the Virgin of the Poor. It was at her apparition site in the mid-1950s where the lone American seminarian in Belgium made a vow, a vow to spend the remainder of his life serving the humiliated, the disregarded, and the poor. War-decimated Korea was his launch point. On December 8, 1957, he looked into the faces of the Korean poor and for the first time saw that “eyes burned with a fierce, scared, hunted-animal expression.” It haunted him, so he worked at its removal.
For the remaining 35 years of a life cut short by Lou Gehrig’s Disease, he begged for hundreds of millions of dollars to build hospitals, dormitories, orphanages, gymnasiums, and churches. He formed the Sisters of Mary and an Order of Brothers who would also agree to turn their lives over for the poor.
“It requires faith of the deepest kind to see God present in the person of the poor,” he wrote during his first year in Busan, Korea. “It requires the faith of the centurion, for example, who could look up at the crucified figure of Christ upon the cross … who was a leper, as one struck by God, and say, ‘Indeed this was the son of God.’”
Fr. Al knew that his vocation would lack spiritual vibrancy, like governmental social justice departments, without it being rooted to the Virgin of the Poor and “Christ, the Starved Man.” So he did what he thought they would ask of him; he committed to mortifications and an intense devotion to the Eucharist and to prayer to act as seedbeds. He daily prayed the rosary and his Office. He made it a point to be available to the poor at all times.
Fr. Al was the mirror image of the priest I had begged for in my book — except he broke the bank. He’d managed to set up a schematic that pulled hundreds of thousands of the poor from poverty, many of whom lived in trash dumps with names like Smokey Mountain and Ragpickers Camp in Korea and the Philippines. Where Mother Teresa picked the dying man off the street, Fr. Al made sure he was never there. Boystown would help make the man an accountant, a masonry contractor, or even a priest. The possibilities for “man fully alive” were limitless to Fr. Al.
Before his death, he handed the baton to his spiritual daughters, the Sisters of Mary. As a writer eager to hold Fr. Al’s life up for the world to see, I wanted to see his heirlooms at work. I convinced Sr. Margie Cheong, the Korean-born sister and head of the Latin American communities of Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, and Honduras, to grant me access into their communities.
After landing safely in Mexico City in early May, I became subject to a new rite of passage at a nearby clinic — a pair of three-inch wooden Q-tips were pushed into the upper reaches of my nasal passages. The procedure would deem me COVID-free. “All for Padre Al,” I whined to Sherlyn, my translator, through watery eyes.
Once cleared of the virus, I entered past the iron gates and high stone walls of Chalco and became instantly flabbergasted. This was the first thing I saw: a fully habited sister jogging with more than 300 teenage girls in tow. Each looked to be smiling. Because American sensibilities were not yet shed, Rocky and those hundreds of city kids who tried to keep up with him as he leapt Philadelphia park benches came to mind. To my left, a fully habited sister was full-tilt on a soccer field filled with girls.
As the day unfolded, I became lifted into a different dimension, one unseen in America. For starters, 3,300 teenage girls were without cell phones. They prayed the rosary at 7 P.M. in a harmonious chorus that reverberated like orchestral hives of bees. As the setting blood-red sun shot its radiant light against twin snow-capped volcanoes in the distance, I watched the girls press into the gymnasium for catechism. An hour later, they poured out like happy saints, smiling, waving, and welcoming the stranger in their midst. The volcanoes seemed to stand prouder then, like watchful fathers admiring their daughters in the fading light. It would have been okay if time had stopped right then.
A few nights later, on the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima, the 3,000-strong caravan knelt on hardwood before the exposed Blessed Sacrament for the better part of an hour. I didn’t observe any fidgeting; it was as if they were kneeling on cashmere-line pillows. None, I saw, rubbed her knees as they exited the Noah’s ark–sized gymnasium. I was reminded of the Major League Baseball player who, after getting hit in the forearm with a mid-90s fastball, doesn’t give the pitcher the satisfaction of knowing that it hurt.
Girlstown in Chalco and Boystown in Guadalajara are saving grounds, sanctified fields of goodwill and resurrection. Children throb with a startling type of joy, heightened by the knowledge that they were lifted from harsh lives of poverty. It took a while to figure out why the teenagers addressed each of the sisters as Madre. “We are spiritual mothers to them first,” a sister told me. “They have been through too much.”
Many have worked fields, barefoot, at the age of 8 or 9 and returned home to find no food on the table. Almost all have had the fear of not knowing the whereabouts of the next meal. Zayra, one of them, revealed to me that she was chased an hour up Loma Larga Mountain by a human-trafficker. Her grandfather, on that mountain where she lived, was drunk most nights. “I would kneel in front of the statue of Mary and pray the fights and drinking would stop,” she said. Antonina, an orphan, told me her father was shot dead in the street. Her mom, she believes, burned to death.
But oh, how Zayra and Antonina smile now — not a painted-on Catholic Branch Davidian type, but a smile that speaks of how the mothers have placed Christ back into His rightful place in their scraped up souls. For the five years the sisters will have them, they educate, nourish, catechize, play with, jog with, and pray with them; they do not stop. The eloquence of their maternal love — given ever so slowly, so tenderly — pulls away layer after layer of wounds and horrors too graphic for this writing.
Each of the sisters greeted me as mothers do their sons arriving home from war — but I knew I was just in the way. Their duty was the children. “Time here is like Magdalene’s perfume; it is precious for us,” Sr. Margie said. “We give all we are to them.” The sisters know the secret: persevering love stirs hearts to healing.
I had befriended cheery-eyed Brazilian-born Sr. Marinei (pronounced “Mar-en-ae”), who prepared my meal each evening. In a moment of boldness, I asked what she had yet to die to – and a sudden curtain of awkward silence dropped. Barking dogs in the countryside became the only sound. Her hesitant eyes told distinctly different stories: her self-consciousness at being caught in the teeth of her weakness and of her desire to fully expose it.
Finally — “I am sensitive,” she whispered with the awkward smile of a kindergartner at her first picture-taking. “And I know I must give that up, too. My thoughts, my hurts — it is all nothing. I must die to everything to be filled with Christ.
“To live poverty means that I must accept a certain death … now, it is not easy for me [Sr. Marinei laughs as the tension breaks], but I know I need to die several times a day. I need to leave behind everything that I am.
“But that is the Gospel — I leave everything — mother, father, all that I have. This is what Jesus asks. It is difficult, but these difficulties are great gifts. Because they allow me to offer myself fully to Him and these girls.”
This statement. The crucified sisters who persevere as steady tides of unconditional love.
These resurrected girls, these resurrected boys who lay down their crosses.
It is Jesus Christ, spread out everywhere. And it is within this holy paradox of living and dying — this surrendering of torment (for children) and comfort (the sisters) — that seems the most reasonable thing in the world.
Note: World Villages for Children (WVC) is a non-profit organization that financially supports the Sisters of Mary as they help children break free from a life of poverty. WVC provides food, shelter, clothing, medical expenses, Catholic education, and vocational training to over 20,000 children in Boystowns and Girlstowns in seven different countries around the world. If you would like to donate to World Villages for Children, please go to www.worldvillages.org/donate
Kevin Wells is a Catholic speaker, writer, president of the Monsignor Thomas Wells Society for Vocations, and author of the bestselling book The Priests We Need to Save the Church (Sophia Institute Press, 2019).
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lifesitenews--2020-05-27--Chartres Pilgrimage canceled for first time in many years. Here’s what it was like

May 27 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — I have been four times on the Chartres Pilgrimage .
It ’ s not a competitive sport , but I should add that only on two of these occasions did I manage to complete it — that is , to walk the entire distance from Notre Dame in Paris to the mighty Chartres Cathedral , more than 60 miles , in two and a half days .
It takes place over the weekend of Pentecost Sunday — Whitsun — with sometimes more than ten thousand pilgrims .
Last year , for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not able to use Notre Dame because of the terrible fire there in April 2019 .
In 2020 , it will be taking place only “ virtually , ” due to the coronavirus epidemic .
The participants are mostly young people , and many pilgrims come every year .
Its cancelation is a great blow to them and to those hoping to experience it for the first time .
Serious pilgrims are used to setbacks , however , and they will be back .
Walking pilgrimages have made a remarkable comeback after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers doing the “ Camino , ” the pilgrimage on foot ( or bicycle ) from various directions to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain , have increased in the most extraordinary way , from hundreds to hundreds of thousands , since that low ebb .
Many of the pilgrims are the “ spiritual but not religious ” types , but the fact that this traditional devotion attracts them so powerfully itself speaks of the evangelizing potential such events have .
The typical Camino route takes six weeks to complete : some people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , returning to carry on where they left off year after year .
The Chartres Pilgrimage is considerably shorter , but unlike the Camino , it is done collectively , with huge campsites at night , and huge celebrations of Mass , some outside , for the whole group each day .
And it is walked at a cracking pace , starting very early in the morning and ending as late as seven in the evening , to squeeze it into a long weekend .
When exactly you leave or arrive depends on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ chapter ” ) in the column .
The whole column takes well over an hour to pass a fixed point .
Not so many “ spiritual but not religious ” people take the Chartres Pilgrimage , which is an intense collective Catholic experience .
The pilgrims sing , pray , and listen to meditations and sermons along the route .
The Pilgrimage has a strong French flavor , naturally , but there are chapters from Germany , England , Scotland and Ireland , Spain , America , and elsewhere , singing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as in French .
The Chartres Pilgrimage teaches us many lessons .
It demonstrates the Catholicity — the universality — of the Church .
We come together from all over Europe and beyond to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary in her French shrine , paying respect to French piety without losing our own identity .
It also demonstrates the possibility of a mass youth event THAT does not descend into licentiousness or liturgical abuses , accusations regularly made about World Youth Day events .
The Chartres Pilgrimage is based on a disciplined traditional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It also demonstrates the fruits of doing something difficult .
The Church should not be making salvation difficult , but the Chartres Pilgrimage shows how people can respond to a challenge .
The physical challenge of the walk is considerable , and the creature comforts , and indeed the food , along the way are extremely limited .
It is tough enough that even fit young people can view their completion of it with satisfaction , and the rest of us need to prepare for it pretty rigorously .
To be blunt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The idea of voluntary penance fell out of favor in the 1970s , but the pilgrimage is a good demonstration of why it makes sense .
Penance is not about being deliberately miserable , but taking on with joy some extra burden , which justifies an honest celebration when it is past : at the end of Lent , say , or after that Mass in Chartres .
The feeling of being united in this kind of effort with others , and of a physical effort being connected with a spiritual effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no young Catholic should miss out on .
Indeed , there are similar , though much smaller , walking pilgrimages now in many other countries : I hope our one in England , a mere 50-mile walk from Ely to Walsingham , at the end of August , will escape cancellation this year .
Perhaps it wasn ’ t such a good idea for the Church to ask less and less of the faithful : fewer Holy Days of Obligation , ever fewer days of fasting and abstinence , a Eucharistic fast so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dispensations for the infirm can always be made , but for the rest of us , being asked to make a serious effort demonstrates the seriousness of the whole enterprise .
You can ’ t get to Heaven by floating downstream .

May 27, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — I have been four times on the Chartres Pilgrimage. It’s not a competitive sport, but I should add that only on two of these occasions did I manage to complete it — that is, to walk the entire distance from Notre Dame in Paris to the mighty Chartres Cathedral, more than 60 miles, in two and a half days.
It takes place over the weekend of Pentecost Sunday — Whitsun — with sometimes more than ten thousand pilgrims. Last year, for the first time for many years, it was not able to use Notre Dame because of the terrible fire there in April 2019. In 2020, it will be taking place only “virtually,” due to the coronavirus epidemic.
The participants are mostly young people, and many pilgrims come every year. Its cancelation is a great blow to them and to those hoping to experience it for the first time. Serious pilgrims are used to setbacks, however, and they will be back.
Walking pilgrimages have made a remarkable comeback after almost disappearing in the 1970s. The numbers doing the “Camino,” the pilgrimage on foot (or bicycle) from various directions to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, have increased in the most extraordinary way, from hundreds to hundreds of thousands, since that low ebb. Many of the pilgrims are the “spiritual but not religious” types, but the fact that this traditional devotion attracts them so powerfully itself speaks of the evangelizing potential such events have. The typical Camino route takes six weeks to complete: some people do it a section at a time, returning to carry on where they left off year after year.
The Chartres Pilgrimage is considerably shorter, but unlike the Camino, it is done collectively, with huge campsites at night, and huge celebrations of Mass, some outside, for the whole group each day. And it is walked at a cracking pace, starting very early in the morning and ending as late as seven in the evening, to squeeze it into a long weekend. When exactly you leave or arrive depends on the place of your little group (“chapter”) in the column. The whole column takes well over an hour to pass a fixed point.
Not so many “spiritual but not religious” people take the Chartres Pilgrimage, which is an intense collective Catholic experience. The pilgrims sing, pray, and listen to meditations and sermons along the route. The Pilgrimage has a strong French flavor, naturally, but there are chapters from Germany, England, Scotland and Ireland, Spain, America, and elsewhere, singing and praying in their own languages as well as in French.
The Chartres Pilgrimage teaches us many lessons. It demonstrates the Catholicity — the universality — of the Church. We come together from all over Europe and beyond to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary in her French shrine, paying respect to French piety without losing our own identity. It also demonstrates the possibility of a mass youth event THAT does not descend into licentiousness or liturgical abuses, accusations regularly made about World Youth Day events. The Chartres Pilgrimage is based on a disciplined traditional spirituality, with the traditional Latin Mass.
It also demonstrates the fruits of doing something difficult. The Church should not be making salvation difficult, but the Chartres Pilgrimage shows how people can respond to a challenge. The physical challenge of the walk is considerable, and the creature comforts, and indeed the food, along the way are extremely limited. It is tough enough that even fit young people can view their completion of it with satisfaction, and the rest of us need to prepare for it pretty rigorously.
To be blunt, the Chartres Pilgrimage is a penance. The idea of voluntary penance fell out of favor in the 1970s, but the pilgrimage is a good demonstration of why it makes sense. Penance is not about being deliberately miserable, but taking on with joy some extra burden, which justifies an honest celebration when it is past: at the end of Lent, say, or after that Mass in Chartres. The feeling of being united in this kind of effort with others, and of a physical effort being connected with a spiritual effort and a spiritual goal, is something no young Catholic should miss out on. Indeed, there are similar, though much smaller, walking pilgrimages now in many other countries: I hope our one in England, a mere 50-mile walk from Ely to Walsingham, at the end of August, will escape cancellation this year.
Perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea for the Church to ask less and less of the faithful: fewer Holy Days of Obligation, ever fewer days of fasting and abstinence, a Eucharistic fast so short as to be almost meaningless. Dispensations for the infirm can always be made, but for the rest of us, being asked to make a serious effort demonstrates the seriousness of the whole enterprise. You can’t get to Heaven by floating downstream.
Follow Joseph Dr Joseph Shaw has a Doctorate in Philosophy from Oxford University, where he also gained a first degree in Politics and Philosophy and a graduate Diploma in Theology. He has published on Ethics and Philosophy of Religion and is the editor of The Case for Liturgical Restoration: Una Voce Position Papers on the Extraordinary Form (Angelico Press). He is the Chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales and Secretary of Una Voce International. He teaches Philosophy in Oxford University and lives nearby with his wife and nine children.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-27--New CDC ‘best estimate’ puts death rate far lower than initial reports

PETITION : No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus !
Sign the petition here .
WASHINGTON , D.C. , May 27 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A new “ best estimate ” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) released earlier this month seems to suggest that the mortality rate of those showing coronavirus symptoms is as low as 0.4 percent – much lower than initial estimates , but still significantly higher than seasonal flu .
The CDC provided the data in a document called “ COVID-19 Pandemic Planning Scenarios.
” Among the five scenarios @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ represents a current best estimate about viral transmission and disease severity in the United States , with the same caveat ( as the other four ) : that the parameter values will change as more data become available.
” Thus , “ ( p ) arameter values for disease severity , viral transmissibility , and pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic disease transmission that represent the best estimate , based on the latest surveillance data and scientific knowledge.
” The data used to prepare the fifth scenario was received before April 29 .
In other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last four weeks was used .
In the section on the Symptomatic Case Fatality Ratio , the CDC lists the rate of people showing coronavirus symptoms who then die of the disease .
This means that the number of people who die is not being placed in relation to the number of people who had coronavirus , as a large number of those infected never show any symptoms .
Instead , the Symptomatic Case Fatality Ratio describes the relation between the number of people with symptoms and those who die .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of reported deaths per reported cases , because many cases and deaths are never confirmed to be COVID-19 , and there is a lag in time between when people are infected and when they die , ” the CDC cautioned .
While the overall mortality rate is estimated to be 0.4 percent , a look at the various age groups shows significant differences .
The part of the population younger than 50 years old and showing COVID-19 symptoms is estimated to have a mortality rate of only 0.05 percent .
The estimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 64 , is four times as high at 0.2 percent .
The elderly , which in the CDC scenarios start at 65 years old , are estimated to have a mortality rate of 1.3 percent , which is many times higher than younger people .
In the fifth scenario giving the best estimates , the CDC works with the assumption that 35 percent of infections with COVID-19 are asymptomatic , meaning those infected never realize it unless they are tested for some reason .
The current best estimate of the CDC , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , puts the mortality rate for COVID-19 four times higher than that of the flu , which is generally given as 0.1 percent .
Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who is one of the key members of the White House coronavirus task force , had claimed in mid-March , “ The flu has a mortality of 0.1 percent .
This has a mortality of 10 times that .
That ’ s the reason I want to emphasize we have to stay ahead of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made by influential British epidemiologist Neil Ferguson predicted 2.2 million deaths within the United States alone .
“ This worst‐case simulation came up with 2.2 million deaths by simply assuming that 81 percent of the population gets infected – 268 million people – and that 0.9 percent of them die , ” the Cato Institute explained .
“ A month later , that 2.2 million estimate was still being used ( without revealing the source ) by President Trump and Doctors Fauci and Birx to imply that up to two million lives had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closings and/or by federal travel bans , ” according to Cato .
On March 3 , before the lockdowns in most parts of the world , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said , “ Globally , about 3.4 percent of reported COVID-19 cases have died .
By comparison , seasonal flu generally kills far fewer than 1 percent of those infected.
” President Donald Trump has called out the WHO , and specifically Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , for being beholden to China , where the coronavirus originated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump explained that the administration ’ s review “ confirmed many of the serious concerns I raised last month ” as to the international body ’ s “ repeated missteps ” and “ China centric ” nature .
“ The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China , ” the letter says .
“ I can not allow American taxpayer dollars to continue to finance an organization that , in its present state , is so clearly not serving America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days , ” Trump warned , “ I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the World Health Organization permanent and reconsider our membership in the organization.
” On April 14 , the President halted funding to the WHO “ while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization ’ s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.
” The U.S. government contributes roughly $ 400 million to the WHO annually .

The CDC now estimates the death rate for sick patients is 0.4 percent – far lower than initial estimates, but still much higher than seasonal flu.
PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 27, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A new “best estimate” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released earlier this month seems to suggest that the mortality rate of those showing coronavirus symptoms is as low as 0.4 percent – much lower than initial estimates, but still significantly higher than seasonal flu.
The CDC provided the data in a document called “COVID-19 Pandemic Planning Scenarios.” Among the five scenarios provided by the CDC, the fifth “represents a current best estimate about viral transmission and disease severity in the United States, with the same caveat (as the other four): that the parameter values will change as more data become available.”
Thus, “(p)arameter values for disease severity, viral transmissibility, and pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic disease transmission that represent the best estimate, based on the latest surveillance data and scientific knowledge.”
The data used to prepare the fifth scenario was received before April 29. In other words, no new data of the last four weeks was used.
In the section on the Symptomatic Case Fatality Ratio, the CDC lists the rate of people showing coronavirus symptoms who then die of the disease. This means that the number of people who die is not being placed in relation to the number of people who had coronavirus, as a large number of those infected never show any symptoms. Instead, the Symptomatic Case Fatality Ratio describes the relation between the number of people with symptoms and those who die.
“This parameter is not necessarily equivalent to the number of reported deaths per reported cases, because many cases and deaths are never confirmed to be COVID-19, and there is a lag in time between when people are infected and when they die,” the CDC cautioned.
While the overall symptomatic mortality rate is estimated to be 0.4 percent, a look at the various age groups shows significant differences. The part of the population younger than 50 years old and showing COVID-19 symptoms is estimated to have a mortality rate of only 0.05 percent.
The estimate for the next group, aged 50 to 64, is four times as high at 0.2 percent.
The elderly, which in the CDC scenarios start at 65 years old, are estimated to have a mortality rate of 1.3 percent, which is many times higher than younger people.
In the fifth scenario giving the best estimates, the CDC works with the assumption that 35 percent of infections with COVID-19 are asymptomatic, meaning those infected never realize it unless they are tested for some reason.
The current best estimate of the CDC, at 0.4 percent, puts the symptomatic mortality rate for COVID-19 four times higher than that of the flu, which is generally given as 0.1 percent.
Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who is one of the key members of the White House coronavirus task force, had claimed in mid-March, “The flu has a mortality of 0.1 percent. This has a mortality of 10 times that. That’s the reason I want to emphasize we have to stay ahead of the game in preventing this.”
Another estimate made by influential British epidemiologist Neil Ferguson predicted 2.2 million deaths within the United States alone.
“This worst‐case simulation came up with 2.2 million deaths by simply assuming that 81 percent of the population gets infected – 268 million people – and that 0.9 percent of them die,” the Cato Institute explained.
“A month later, that 2.2 million estimate was still being used (without revealing the source) by President Trump and Doctors Fauci and Birx to imply that up to two million lives had been saved by state lockdowns and business closings and/or by federal travel bans,” according to Cato.
On March 3, before the lockdowns in most parts of the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “Globally, about 3.4 percent of reported COVID-19 cases have died. By comparison, seasonal flu generally kills far fewer than 1 percent of those infected.”
President Donald Trump has called out the WHO, and specifically Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, for being beholden to China, where the coronavirus originated.
In a letter dated May 18, Trump explained that the administration’s review “confirmed many of the serious concerns I raised last month” as to the international body’s “repeated missteps” and “China centric” nature.
“The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China,” the letter says. “I cannot allow American taxpayer dollars to continue to finance an organization that, in its present state, is so clearly not serving America’s interests.”
If the WHO “does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days,” Trump warned, “I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the World Health Organization permanent and reconsider our membership in the organization.”
On April 14, the President halted funding to the WHO “while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization’s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.”
The U.S. government contributes roughly $400 million to the WHO annually.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-27--Cdl Burke decries ‘distortion’ of sacraments during pandemic, loss of sense of sacred

Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world : Feed your flock !
Sign the petition here .
SAN DIEGO , California , May 27 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — “ Distortions ” of the sacraments that took place in churches during the coronavirus lockdown , and that are taking place as they open up again , could result in Catholics losing a sense of the sacred , says Cardinal Raymond Burke .
“ The sacred in the highest sense , in the sense that we see and we experience , the sacred is Christ Himself in our midst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Thomas McKenna of Catholic Action for Faith and Family in a May 24 interview .
Through the sacraments , Christ acts “ to forgive our sins , to fortify us with the gift of his Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist , to forgive our sins and strengthen us in serious illness , ” Burke pointed out .
“ But we have to understand that it 's Christ who is acting .
It ’ s not something we invented , you know , where we can manipulate the sacred to fit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Masses cancelled during the coronavirus pandemic , such manipulations have taken place , suggested Burke , a canon lawyer and well-known advocate of orthodoxy .
One such instance is the “ virtual ” First Holy Communion Mass planned by a parish priest in Ireland , who “ gave the Sacred Hosts to their parents in advance ” to take home and give to their child while watching the live-streamed Mass .
“ This is very bad , ” Burke said .
“ These children lose all sense of the fact that the Holy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are taking part , united themselves to Christ.
” Another instance is priests in Italy being required to “ give out Holy Communion wearing the plastic gloves and with the mask on their face.
” Burke also referenced the Italian bishops ’ proposal that priests could leave consecrated Hosts in plastic bags for Catholics to pick up , a practice that La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana reported in May had already been adopted in some parts of Germany .
“ We can ’ t be putting Holy Communion , the Sacred Host , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ box to be , people taking home with them , ” he said .
“ These are distortions of the sacramental sign .
And they simply ca n't be permitted.
” Burke also made reference to an American bishop ’ s short-lived proposal that nurses administer oils for the anointing of the sick to coronavirus patients so priests wouldn ’ t be exposed to the disease .
The Church has always understood that only a priest can administer extreme unction “ because it ’ s Christ who comes to the sick person , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and anoints the sick person could give them strength in their illness , ” Burke said .
“ We pray always for physical healing , but we pray at the same time for that spiritual strength to embrace whatever illness the person has and to unite it to the suffering of Christ , ” he said .
“ And to suggest that this could be done by a person other than a priest is a manifest loss of faith in the sacrament itself.
” Burke said he fears that the cancellation of public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ belief in the centrality of the Eucharist and of their obligation to attend Mass on Sunday .
He has read reports of “ even good people who ’ ve said , well , in a certain way they preferred taking part in Mass at home , in the comfort of their home , with the television , ” the cardinal observed .
“ But this isn ’ t participating in Holy Mass .
It ’ s a holy thing to watch the Mass and to be in awe of it , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t present on the television screen .
And He ’ s not in your home by that means , ” he said .
Catholics who know what the Mass is will return “ very wholeheartedly to fulfilling the Sunday obligation to assist at Holy Mass , ” Burke observed .
“ But for those who may not be so catechized , I fear very much that the easy way in which the churches were closed , and ( that ) it was said that the bishops were dispensing the people from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period of time , could give the people the impression that Sunday Mass is just one more practice in the church , which the bishop can dispense.
” Indeed , Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández of La Planta , Argentina , a papal ghostwriter and confidant of Pope Francis , suggested in an April interview that the obligation to go to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days “ is not indispensable ” and “ is something that could fall.
” But the Church does not have the authority to drop the obligation to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a commandment from God , Burke pointed out .
When it has been impossible during the current crisis for the faithful to attend Mass , the obligation does not bind them , but the obligation remains .
“ It 's not correct to say that the bishop dispenses the faithful from the obligation of Sunday Mass , because Sunday Mass is a response to the Third Commandment .
This is divine law , ” he emphasized .
It ’ s clear in the wake of what coronavirus pandemic lockdowns have wrought , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be catechised on core beliefs of their faith .
“ We 're going to have to restore very much the catechesis with regard to the Eucharist , and the whole sense of the Sunday Mass obligation , because I can see that there 's been a certain erosion , ” he said .
Burke also criticized the Vatican ’ s secret accord with China , noting that bishops faithful to the Church who have persevered as members of the underground Church despite persecution are now being asked to sign an oath of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which regards the only acceptable religion as China itself .
He urged people to heed the messages of Our Lady at Fatima .

First Communion at home, Hosts in plastic bags, and distribution of the Eucharist using plastic gloves are manipulations, the cardinal emphasized.
Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world: Feed your flock! Sign the petition here.
SAN DIEGO, California, May 27, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — “Distortions” of the sacraments that took place in churches during the coronavirus lockdown, and that are taking place as they open up again, could result in Catholics losing a sense of the sacred, says Cardinal Raymond Burke.
“The sacred in the highest sense, in the sense that we see and we experience, the sacred is Christ Himself in our midst acting to sanctify us,” he told Thomas McKenna of Catholic Action for Faith and Family in a May 24 interview.
Through the sacraments, Christ acts “to forgive our sins, to fortify us with the gift of his Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, to forgive our sins and strengthen us in serious illness,” Burke pointed out.
“But we have to understand that it's Christ who is acting. It’s not something we invented, you know, where we can manipulate the sacred to fit our circumstances.”
However, with public Masses cancelled during the coronavirus pandemic, such manipulations have taken place, suggested Burke, a canon lawyer and well-known advocate of orthodoxy.
One such instance is the “virtual” First Holy Communion Mass planned by a parish priest in Ireland, who “gave the Sacred Hosts to their parents in advance” to take home and give to their child while watching the live-streamed Mass.
“This is very bad,” Burke said.
“These children lose all sense of the fact that the Holy Communion comes from the sacrifice in which they are taking part, united themselves to Christ.”
Another instance is priests in Italy being required to “give out Holy Communion wearing the plastic gloves and with the mask on their face.”
Burke also referenced the Italian bishops’ proposal that priests could leave consecrated Hosts in plastic bags for Catholics to pick up, a practice that La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana reported in May had already been adopted in some parts of Germany.
“We can’t be putting Holy Communion, the Sacred Host, in a plastic bag, or a box to be, people taking home with them,” he said.
“These are distortions of the sacramental sign. And they simply can't be permitted.”
Burke also made reference to an American bishop’s short-lived proposal that nurses administer oils for the anointing of the sick to coronavirus patients so priests wouldn’t be exposed to the disease.
The Church has always understood that only a priest can administer extreme unction “because it’s Christ who comes to the sick person, and prays over the sick person, and anoints the sick person could give them strength in their illness,” Burke said.
“We pray always for physical healing, but we pray at the same time for that spiritual strength to embrace whatever illness the person has and to unite it to the suffering of Christ,” he said.
“And to suggest that this could be done by a person other than a priest is a manifest loss of faith in the sacrament itself.”
Burke said he fears that the cancellation of public Masses has caused an erosion of Catholics’ belief in the centrality of the Eucharist and of their obligation to attend Mass on Sunday.
He has read reports of “even good people who’ve said, well, in a certain way they preferred taking part in Mass at home, in the comfort of their home, with the television,” the cardinal observed.
“But this isn’t participating in Holy Mass. It’s a holy thing to watch the Mass and to be in awe of it, but it’s not participation. Christ isn’t present on the television screen. And He’s not in your home by that means,” he said.
Catholics who know what the Mass is will return “very wholeheartedly to fulfilling the Sunday obligation to assist at Holy Mass,” Burke observed.
“But for those who may not be so catechized, I fear very much that the easy way in which the churches were closed, and (that) it was said that the bishops were dispensing the people from the Sunday Mass obligation for this long period of time, could give the people the impression that Sunday Mass is just one more practice in the church, which the bishop can dispense.”
Indeed, Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández of La Planta, Argentina, a papal ghostwriter and confidant of Pope Francis, suggested in an April interview that the obligation to go to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days “is not indispensable” and “is something that could fall.”
But the Church does not have the authority to drop the obligation to go to Mass on Sunday, which is a commandment from God, Burke pointed out. When it has been impossible during the current crisis for the faithful to attend Mass, the obligation does not bind them, but the obligation remains.
“It's not correct to say that the bishop dispenses the faithful from the obligation of Sunday Mass, because Sunday Mass is a response to the Third Commandment. This is divine law,” he emphasized.
It’s clear in the wake of what coronavirus pandemic lockdowns have wrought, or brought to light, that Catholics need to be catechised on core beliefs of their faith.
“We're going to have to restore very much the catechesis with regard to the Eucharist, and the whole sense of the Sunday Mass obligation, because I can see that there's been a certain erosion,” he said.
Burke also criticized the Vatican’s secret accord with China, noting that bishops faithful to the Church who have persevered as members of the underground Church despite persecution are now being asked to sign an oath of loyalty to the Communist Party of China, which regards the only acceptable religion as China itself.
He urged people to heed the messages of Our Lady at Fatima.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-27--Chinese officials propose app to grade citizens’ health, daily habits from 0 to 100

PETITION : No to mandatory contact tracing and government surveillance for the coronavirus !
Sign the petition here .
CHINA , May 27 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Officials in the Chinese city of Hangzhou have announced that they are considering the permanent use of an app , first introduced in response to the coronavirus , to continue to grade the health of individuals by assessing personal information including how much alcohol people consume and how much sleep and exercise they are getting .
During the coronavirus crisis smartphone apps have been used in China to track whether people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected with the virus .
Although use of such apps is reportedly decreasing in many parts of the country , officials in Hangzhou say that their new , broader proposals will provide a “ firewall to enhance people ’ s health and immunity ” after the pandemic .
In the new proposed system , individuals will be assigned a health score from 0 to 100 , based on a number of factors including their medical records , physical assessments , as well as their drinking , smoking , sleeping , and exercise habits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by your daily activities : 15,000 steps of daily exercise will increase your score by 5 points , 200 milliliters of baijiu – a sorghum-based Chinese liquor known for its high alcohol content – will lower your score by 1.5 points , five cigarettes will cost you 3 points , and 7.5 hours of sleep will add one point to your score , ” CNN explained based on information from the Hanghzhou Municipal Health Commission .
Reports note that it is not clear at this stage either how the app will collect such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compulsory and rolled out nationwide .
But CNN notes that a number of Chinese social media users have raised serious privacy concerns about the new proposals .
“ Medical history and health checkup reports are personal privacy , why should they be included in health codes to show others ?
Points will be deducted for smoking , drinking and not sleeping enough , does this mean our lives will be completely monitored ?
” one individual posted to Weibo , a Chinese social media platform similar to Twitter .
“ During the epidemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope after the epidemic individuals will have the right to delete the app , instead of normalizing ( its use ) , ” another wrote .
Lawrence Li , a Chinese technology commentator and privacy advocate , told the AFP that any such app should not be made mandatory .
“ In the case of Covid [ data collection ] I think people willingly participated , but it ’ s another story if the government wants to make it the ‘ new normal , ’ ” he said .

Individuals will be assigned a health score from 0 to 100, based on a number of factors including their medical records, physical assessments, as well as their drinking, smoking, sleeping, and exercise habits.
PETITION: No to mandatory contact tracing and government surveillance for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
CHINA, May 27, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Officials in the Chinese city of Hangzhou have announced that they are considering the permanent use of an app, first introduced in response to the coronavirus, to continue to grade the health of individuals by assessing personal information including how much alcohol people consume and how much sleep and exercise they are getting.
During the coronavirus crisis smartphone apps have been used in China to track whether people may have come into contact with individuals infected with the virus.
Although use of such apps is reportedly decreasing in many parts of the country, officials in Hangzhou say that their new, broader proposals will provide a “firewall to enhance people’s health and immunity” after the pandemic.
In the new proposed system, individuals will be assigned a health score from 0 to 100, based on a number of factors including their medical records, physical assessments, as well as their drinking, smoking, sleeping, and exercise habits.
“The score can be affected by your daily activities: 15,000 steps of daily exercise will increase your score by 5 points, 200 milliliters of baijiu – a sorghum-based Chinese liquor known for its high alcohol content – will lower your score by 1.5 points, five cigarettes will cost you 3 points, and 7.5 hours of sleep will add one point to your score,” CNN explained based on information from the Hanghzhou Municipal Health Commission.
Reports note that it is not clear at this stage either how the app will collect such data or whether it will be made compulsory and rolled out nationwide.
But CNN notes that a number of Chinese social media users have raised serious privacy concerns about the new proposals.
“Medical history and health checkup reports are personal privacy, why should they be included in health codes to show others? Points will be deducted for smoking, drinking and not sleeping enough, does this mean our lives will be completely monitored?” one individual posted to Weibo, a Chinese social media platform similar to Twitter.
“During the epidemic we had no choice, but I hope after the epidemic individuals will have the right to delete the app, instead of normalizing (its use),” another wrote.
Lawrence Li, a Chinese technology commentator and privacy advocate, told the AFP that any such app should not be made mandatory.
“In the case of Covid [data collection] I think people willingly participated, but it’s another story if the government wants to make it the ‘new normal,’” he said.
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