lifesitenews--2020-07-31--Abp Viganò: ‘I see nothing paternal about punishing priests who do not want to profane the Sacred Ho

Abp Viganò: ‘I see nothing paternal about punishing priests who do not want to profane the Sacred Host’

July 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In an open letter to an Argentine bishop who just punished faithful priests by closing their flourishing seminary , Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò rebukes him for his lack of fraternal and paternal charity toward those who wish to receive the Holy Eucharist only on the tongue , and not on the hand .
The Italian prelate writes : As LifeSiteNews reported , the San Rafael Seminary in Argentina has been closed by Bishop Eduardo Maria Taussig , using the excuse of the coronavirus crisis , in order to rebuke more than 150 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the hand .
Taussig , after the reopening of the churches at the end of the coronavirus crisis , had ordered that Holy Communion only be given on the hand .
The bishop then dismissed Father Alejandro Miguel Ciarrocchi , the rector of the diocesan seminary , from his post after he defended the right of his seminarians to receive the Blessed Sacrament according to the traditional norms .
The Diocese declared that , “ in accordance with instructions from the Holy See , it has been decided to close the seminary.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the situation , this seminary had excellent theologians and professors and was flourishing .
Taussig is said to soon be transferred to another diocese , but this closing of the seminary clearly has found the approval of the Vatican .
Some sources tell LifeSite that the seminary is to close in December .
Archbishop Viganò , in his fraternal correction , points out the damage that this bishop is now doing to the faithful who have kept the Faith in spite of “ the relentless work of ultra-modernist indoctrination that has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” He also lauds the faithful for their reverence for Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist .
The prelate also mentions another scandal in Switzerland , where women are presiding now over fake Masses while only omitting the words of the Consecration ( LifeSiteNews reported on this here ) .
While these scandals go uncorrected by their local bishop , faithful who wish to receive Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist reverently are being punished .
Yet some Catholics are still following those priests who are faithful to Our Lord .
Below is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Marco Tosatti on his blog .
It is reprinted here with permission from Archbishop Viganò .
I am confused and hurt to hear the news in the international press about the decision to close the Seminary of the Diocese of San Rafael and to dismiss its Rector , Fr .
Alejandro Miguel Ciarrocchi .
This decision is said to have been adopted , at your zealous insistence , by the Congregation for the Clergy , which considered inadmissible the refusal on the part of clerics under your jurisdiction to administer and receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than on the tongue .
I imagined that the laudable and coherent behavior of the priests , clerics , and faithful of San Rafael offered you an excellent excuse to close the largest seminary in Argentina and to disperse the seminarians in order to re-educate them elsewhere , in seminaries that are so exemplary that now they are empty .
Your Excellency has done a very good job of translating the invitation to parrhesia [ freedom , frankness ] into action , in the name of which we are supposed to defeat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denounced by the highest Throne .
I can understand your disappointment in seeing that , despite the relentless work of ultra-modernist indoctrination that has been carried out in the past few decades , there are still courageous priests and clerics who do not place the obeisance of the episcopal court ahead of the respect that is owed to the Blessed Sacrament ; and I can imagine your vexation in seeing that the lay faithful and even entire families – from what has been called “ the Vendée of the Andes ” – are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gospel says “ the sheep recognize his voice , ” and not the mercenaries who have “ no concern for the sheep ” ( Jn 10 : 4,13 ) .
These episodes confirm the action of the Holy Spirit in the Church : the Paraclete infuses the gift of Fortitude in the humble and weakest and confounds the proud and powerful , manifesting faith in the August Sacrament of the Altar on the one hand and its culpable profanation out of human respect on the other .
Conforming to the mentality of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Excellency the easy and self-interested applause of the enemies of the Church , but it will not avoid either the unanimous disapproval of those who are good , nor even less the Judgment of God , who is truly present under the veil of the Eucharist in His Body , Blood , Soul , and Divinity , and who asks the Sacred Pastors to be His witnesses , not His betrayers and persecutors .
Your Excellency will permit me to point out to you a certain inconsistency of your behavior with the motto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of arms : Paterna Atque Fraterna Charitate [ Paternal and Fraternal Charity ] .
I see nothing paternal about punishing priests who do not want to profane the Sacred Host , nor any form of true charity towards those who have disobeyed an inadmissible order .
Charity is exercised in service of the Good and the True : if it has error as its origin and evil as its end , it can only be a grotesque parody of the virtue .
A bishop who , instead of defending the honor owed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who strive for this noble purpose , even goes so far as to close a flourishing seminary and to publicly reprimand his clerics is not performing an act of charity but rather a deplorable abuse , for which he will be called to respond before the judgment seat of God .
I pray that you will understand how serious your action is , considered sub specie aeternitatis , both in itself and also because of the scandal it causes to the little ones .
Your studies at the Angelicum ought to help Your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which also imposes sub gravi the duty of reparation .
The press relates that in the Diocese of Basel [ Switzerland ] , in the church of Rigi-Kaltbad , a woman wearing sacred vestments regularly simulates the celebration of the Mass , in the absence of an ordained priest , omitting only the words of the Consecration .
I wonder whether Bishop Felix Gmür of Basel will distinguish himself with the same zeal that you have , having recourse to the Roman Dicasteries to punish in an exemplary way the sacrilegious simulation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the inflexibility you have demonstrated in punishing the priests who have dutifully disobeyed you will not be emulated in Switzerland .
Certainly , if a priest had celebrated Mass in the Tridentine Rite on that same altar in Rigi-Kaltbad , the arrows of the Ordinary would not have delayed to shoot him down , but a woman who “ celebrates Mass ” abusively and sacrilegiously is today considered a negligible thing , just like exposing the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar to desecration .
Together with the clerics and laity of your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and seriously offended , I pray for you , Your Excellency , for the officials of the Holy See , and in particular for Cardinal Beniamino Stella , whom I knew as a devoted priest and a faithful Apostolic Nuncio , whom I visited in Bogotà in my capacity as Delegate for the Pontifical Representations .
He was once my friend ; I collaborated with him for years in the Secretariat of State .
Unfortunately for some time now I can no longer recognize him as such , because of his participation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We pray for your conversion , a conversion to which we are all called , but that should no longer be deferred by those who are working not for the glory of God but against the good of souls and the honor of the Church .
Let us all pray for the seminarians and faithful of San Rafael , on whom you , Your Excellency , have declared war .
With fraternal Charity , in the Truth , + Carlo Maria Viganò , Archbishop

'A bishop who, instead of defending the honor owed to the King of Kings and praising those who strive for this noble purpose, even goes so far as to close a flourishing seminary and to publicly reprimand his clerics is not performing an act of charity but rather a deplorable abuse, for which he will be called to respond before the judgment seat of God.'
July 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – In an open letter to an Argentine bishop who just punished faithful priests by closing their flourishing seminary, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò rebukes him for his lack of fraternal and paternal charity toward those who wish to receive the Holy Eucharist only on the tongue, and not on the hand. The Italian prelate writes:
A bishop who, instead of defending the honor owed to the King of Kings and praising those who strive for this noble purpose, even goes so far as to close a flourishing seminary and to publicly reprimand his clerics is not performing an act of charity but rather a deplorable abuse, for which he will be called to respond before the judgment seat of God.
As LifeSiteNews reported, the San Rafael Seminary in Argentina has been closed by Bishop Eduardo Maria Taussig, using the excuse of the coronavirus crisis, in order to rebuke more than 150 families and the seminarians for rejecting Communion in the hand. Taussig, after the reopening of the churches at the end of the coronavirus crisis, had ordered that Holy Communion only be given on the hand. The bishop then dismissed Father Alejandro Miguel Ciarrocchi, the rector of the diocesan seminary, from his post after he defended the right of his seminarians to receive the Blessed Sacrament according to the traditional norms. The Diocese declared that, “in accordance with instructions from the Holy See, it has been decided to close the seminary.”
As we hear from sources close to the situation, this seminary had excellent theologians and professors and was flourishing. Taussig is said to soon be transferred to another diocese, but this closing of the seminary clearly has found the approval of the Vatican. Some sources tell LifeSite that the seminary is to close in December.
Archbishop Viganò, in his fraternal correction, points out the damage that this bishop is now doing to the faithful who have kept the Faith in spite of “the relentless work of ultra-modernist indoctrination that has been carried out in the past few decades.” He also lauds the faithful for their reverence for Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist.
The prelate also mentions another scandal in Switzerland, where women are presiding now over fake Masses while only omitting the words of the Consecration (LifeSiteNews reported on this here). While these scandals go uncorrected by their local bishop, faithful who wish to receive Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist reverently are being punished.
Yet some Catholics are still following those priests who are faithful to Our Lord.
States Viganò:
I can imagine your vexation in seeing that the lay faithful and even entire families – from what has been called “the Vendée of the Andes” – are following the good shepherds, of whom the Gospel says “the sheep recognize his voice,” and not the mercenaries who have “no concern for the sheep” (Jn 10: 4,13).
Below is the full open letter as first published by Marco Tosatti on his blog. It is reprinted here with permission from Archbishop Viganò.
30 July 2020
Your Excellency,
I am confused and hurt to hear the news in the international press about the decision to close the Seminary of the Diocese of San Rafael and to dismiss its Rector, Fr. Alejandro Miguel Ciarrocchi.
This decision is said to have been adopted, at your zealous insistence, by the Congregation for the Clergy, which considered inadmissible the refusal on the part of clerics under your jurisdiction to administer and receive the Most Holy Eucharist on the hand rather than on the tongue. I imagined that the laudable and coherent behavior of the priests, clerics, and faithful of San Rafael offered you an excellent excuse to close the largest seminary in Argentina and to disperse the seminarians in order to re-educate them elsewhere, in seminaries that are so exemplary that now they are empty. Your Excellency has done a very good job of translating the invitation to parrhesia [freedom, frankness] into action, in the name of which we are supposed to defeat the scourge of clericalism that has been denounced by the highest Throne.
I can understand your disappointment in seeing that, despite the relentless work of ultra-modernist indoctrination that has been carried out in the past few decades, there are still courageous priests and clerics who do not place the obeisance of the episcopal court ahead of the respect that is owed to the Blessed Sacrament; and I can imagine your vexation in seeing that the lay faithful and even entire families – from what has been called “the Vendée of the Andes” – are following the good shepherds, of whom the Gospel says “the sheep recognize his voice,” and not the mercenaries who have “no concern for the sheep” (Jn 10: 4,13).
These episodes confirm the action of the Holy Spirit in the Church: the Paraclete infuses the gift of Fortitude in the humble and weakest and confounds the proud and powerful, manifesting faith in the August Sacrament of the Altar on the one hand and its culpable profanation out of human respect on the other. Conforming to the mentality of the world may perhaps gain for Your Excellency the easy and self-interested applause of the enemies of the Church, but it will not avoid either the unanimous disapproval of those who are good, nor even less the Judgment of God, who is truly present under the veil of the Eucharist in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, and who asks the Sacred Pastors to be His witnesses, not His betrayers and persecutors.
Your Excellency will permit me to point out to you a certain inconsistency of your behavior with the motto you have chosen for your episcopal coat of arms: Paterna Atque Fraterna Charitate [Paternal and Fraternal Charity]. I see nothing paternal about punishing priests who do not want to profane the Sacred Host, nor any form of true charity towards those who have disobeyed an inadmissible order. Charity is exercised in service of the Good and the True: if it has error as its origin and evil as its end, it can only be a grotesque parody of the virtue. A bishop who, instead of defending the honor owed to the King of Kings and praising those who strive for this noble purpose, even goes so far as to close a flourishing seminary and to publicly reprimand his clerics is not performing an act of charity but rather a deplorable abuse, for which he will be called to respond before the judgment seat of God. I pray that you will understand how serious your action is, considered sub specie aeternitatis, both in itself and also because of the scandal it causes to the little ones. Your studies at the Angelicum ought to help Your Excellency in this work of healthy repentance, which also imposes sub gravi the duty of reparation.
The press relates that in the Diocese of Basel [Switzerland], in the church of Rigi-Kaltbad, a woman wearing sacred vestments regularly simulates the celebration of the Mass, in the absence of an ordained priest, omitting only the words of the Consecration. I wonder whether Bishop Felix Gmür of Basel will distinguish himself with the same zeal that you have, having recourse to the Roman Dicasteries to punish in an exemplary way the sacrilegious simulation of the Mass. I fear however that the inflexibility you have demonstrated in punishing the priests who have dutifully disobeyed you will not be emulated in Switzerland. Certainly, if a priest had celebrated Mass in the Tridentine Rite on that same altar in Rigi-Kaltbad, the arrows of the Ordinary would not have delayed to shoot him down, but a woman who “celebrates Mass” abusively and sacrilegiously is today considered a negligible thing, just like exposing the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar to desecration.
Together with the clerics and laity of your diocese, whom you have unjustly punished and seriously offended, I pray for you, Your Excellency, for the officials of the Holy See, and in particular for Cardinal Beniamino Stella, whom I knew as a devoted priest and a faithful Apostolic Nuncio, whom I visited in Bogotà in my capacity as Delegate for the Pontifical Representations. He was once my friend; I collaborated with him for years in the Secretariat of State. Unfortunately for some time now I can no longer recognize him as such, because of his participation in the demolition of the Church of Christ.
We pray for your conversion, a conversion to which we are all called, but that should no longer be deferred by those who are working not for the glory of God but against the good of souls and the honor of the Church.
Let us all pray for the seminarians and faithful of San Rafael, on whom you, Your Excellency, have declared war.
With fraternal Charity, in the Truth,
+ Carlo Maria Viganò, Archbishop
Translated by Giuseppe Pellegrino
Follow Maike Dr. Maike Hickson was born and raised in Germany. She holds a PhD from the University of Hannover, Germany, after having written in Switzerland her doctoral dissertation on the history of Swiss intellectuals before and during World War II. She now lives in the U.S. and is married to Dr. Robert Hickson, and they have been blessed with two beautiful children. She is a happy housewife who likes to write articles when time permits. Dr. Hickson published in 2014 a Festschrift, a collection of some thirty essays written by thoughtful authors in honor of her husband upon his 70th birthday, which is entitled A Catholic Witness in Our Time. Hickson has closely followed the papacy of Pope Francis and the developments in the Catholic Church in Germany, and she has been writing articles on religion and politics for U.S. and European publications and websites such as LifeSiteNews, OnePeterFive, The Wanderer, Rorate Caeli, Catholicism.org, Catholic Family News, Christian Order, Notizie Pro-Vita, Corrispondenza Romana, Katholisches.info, Der Dreizehnte, Zeit-Fragen, and Westfalen-Blatt.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-07-31--Planned Parenthood sues pro-life Christians holding worship services outside abortion center

URGENT PETITION : Tell the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade !
Sign the petition here .
SPOKANE , Washington , July 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A Washington state Planned Parenthood sued a Christian community for holding monthly pro-life worship services outside one of its abortion centers .
“ You have a billion-dollar industry suing local church pastors that are n't wealthy at all , for singing and peaceably assembly , ” Pastor Ken Peters , who is responsible for the worship services , told Fox News .
The Church at Planned Parenthood ( TCAPP ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ has been holding massive protests since the fall of 2018 on the narrow public right of way directly adjacent to the Planned Parenthood building , ” the lawsuit stated .
“ Directly on the other side of the wall from where the massive crowd gathers to sing , chant , whistle , and yell and scream are all of the facility ’ s patient exam rooms.
” The lawsuit failed to mention that the worship services begin at 6 p.m. , which is when the abortion center closes .
“ TCAPP leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd to raise their voices , to sing louder and to scream and shout louder and longer , ” Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and Northern Idaho claimed in the lawsuit .
“ The noise level routinely exceeds the limits set forth in the city noise ordinance.
” “ If TCAPP protests were just about worship and not about disrupting the operations of the clinic , TCAPP could relocate to the opposite side of the street in front of the Salvation Army building , ” the lawsuit suggested .
In that location , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large gathering and all involved would be safer , ” claimed the company that profits from aborting human beings .
Peters , the founder of TCAPP , told Crosscut that he specifically chose the narrow part of the street to hold worship services once a month .
“ We want to get as close to Planned Parenthood as we can , because the closer we are , the bigger the statement that it makes , ” he said .
“ It makes a statement that we disagree with what they ’ re doing.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peters said , “ We ’ re doing everything we possibly can to comply with the sound ordinance and still be able to do what we feel is our First Amendment right.
” At the same time , “ ( w ) e know they ’ re there with their little sound meters and yeah , it ’ s just a stupid game.
” “ We ’ ve been running for two years , ” Peters said .
“ We ’ ve never been cited .
We don ’ t cause destruction .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t riot .
We literally go to Planned Parenthood and we hold church once a month .
We do this after hours .
We are not causing any harm.
” Peters explained that his congregation is “ bringing attention to the fact that they are killing life for money .
That ’ s what they don ’ t like .
That ’ s what they ’ re suing us for .
We are shining a light for the Lord and on their sin and that ’ s what ( sic ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Planned Parenthood emphasizes on its website that it “ is NOT a protest .
It ’ s a worship service at the gates of Hell .
The Church at Planned Parenthood is a gathering of Christians for the worship of God and the corporate prayer for repentance for this nation , repentance for the apathetic church , and repentance of our blood guiltiness in this abortion holocaust.
” Planned Parenthood commits more than 345,000 abortions annually , according to its most recent report .
Additionally , the organization handed out more than 593,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the morning-after pill , which can also cause abortions in some cases .

The abortion conglomerate claims the noise level of those gathered is excessive, but didn't mention that the monthly service begins after the center closes.
URGENT PETITION: Tell the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade! Sign the petition here.
SPOKANE, Washington, July 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A Washington state Planned Parenthood sued a Christian community for holding monthly pro-life worship services outside one of its abortion centers.
“You have a billion-dollar industry suing local church pastors that aren't wealthy at all, for singing and peaceably assembly,” Pastor Ken Peters, who is responsible for the worship services, told Fox News.
The Church at Planned Parenthood (TCAPP), as it is officially called, “has been holding massive protests since the fall of 2018 on the narrow public right of way directly adjacent to the Planned Parenthood building,” the lawsuit stated. “Directly on the other side of the wall from where the massive crowd gathers to sing, chant, whistle, and yell and scream are all of the facility’s patient exam rooms.”
The lawsuit failed to mention that the worship services begin at 6 p.m., which is when the abortion center closes.
“TCAPP leaders intentionally increase the noise by encouraging the crowd to raise their voices, to sing louder and to scream and shout louder and longer,” Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and Northern Idaho claimed in the lawsuit. “The noise level routinely exceeds the limits set forth in the city noise ordinance.”
“If TCAPP protests were just about worship and not about disrupting the operations of the clinic, TCAPP could relocate to the opposite side of the street in front of the Salvation Army building,” the lawsuit suggested. In that location, “there is more room for a large gathering and all involved would be safer,” claimed the company that profits from aborting human beings.
Peters, the founder of TCAPP, told Crosscut that he specifically chose the narrow part of the street to hold worship services once a month. “We want to get as close to Planned Parenthood as we can, because the closer we are, the bigger the statement that it makes,” he said. “It makes a statement that we disagree with what they’re doing.”
Commenting on the noise level, Peters said, “We’re doing everything we possibly can to comply with the sound ordinance and still be able to do what we feel is our First Amendment right.” At the same time, “(w)e know they’re there with their little sound meters and yeah, it’s just a stupid game.”
“We’ve been running for two years,” Peters said. “We’ve never been cited. We don’t cause destruction. We don’t loot. We don’t riot. We literally go to Planned Parenthood and we hold church once a month. We do this after hours. We are not causing any harm.”
Peters explained that his congregation is “bringing attention to the fact that they are killing life for money. That’s what they don’t like. That’s what they’re suing us for. We are shining a light for the Lord and on their sin and that’s what (sic) they hate us.”
The Church at Planned Parenthood emphasizes on its website that it “is NOT a protest. It’s a worship service at the gates of Hell. The Church at Planned Parenthood is a gathering of Christians for the worship of God and the corporate prayer for repentance for this nation, repentance for the apathetic church, and repentance of our blood guiltiness in this abortion holocaust.”
Planned Parenthood commits more than 345,000 abortions annually, according to its most recent report. Additionally, the organization handed out more than 593,000 emergency contraception kits, commonly known as the morning-after pill, which can also cause abortions in some cases.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-07-30--Owning a Bible could be a ‘hate crime’ under proposed Scotland law on ‘inflammatory material’

PETITION : Tell politicians not to discriminate against churches when reopening society !
Sign the petition here .
EDINBURGH , Scotland , July 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― The Catholic Bishops ’ Conference of Scotland fears that the country ’ s proposed new “ hate crime ” legislation could criminalize the possession of a Bible or the Catholic catechism .
In a submission to the Scottish government on the Hate Crime and Public Order ( Scotland ) Bill , the Scottish Catholic bishops said they were concerned that the creation of new offenses within the multi-part legislation would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the proposed new offenses include “ stirring up hatred ” and “ possession of inflammatory material.
” The provisions of the “ stirring up hatred ” offense are twofold yet imprecise .
First , the behavior or communication must be threatening , abusive or , in the case of race , insulting .
Second , either the actor must “ intend ” to stir up “ hatred ” against a protected group , or there is a “ likelihood ” that his or her behavior or communication will stir up “ hatred ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ objected that the definition of “ hatred ” is so unclear it is open to “ a wide interpretation.
” “ The proposed threshold for an offence under the stirring-up provisions might be considered disproportionately low , ” the bishops wrote .
They then provided a surprising hypothetical example : a group accusing a transgenderist of stirring up hatred against them for their biological realism .
“ For example , A might disagree with B ’ s belief that a biological male can not become a woman .
A might even go so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ talking nonsense , ’ and that he is ‘ transphobic ’ and say so either in person or on a social media platform such as Twitter .
The term abusive means offensive or mistreating , and should B feel offended , the first case is met , ” the bishops wrote .
“ In terms of the second test , a group of people accompanying B deem the comments to be an intention to stir up hatred against them as a group , and thus the second test is met.
” They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should not be criminalized and that criminal behavior should not be determined solely on “ the subjective.
” “ The test must be stronger and allow the law to be consistent and not forever stretched in multiple ways to meet the capricious sensibilities and mores of the current culture and public opinion , ” they wrote .
The bishops more clearly defended the rights of Catholics and other Christians to publicly profess their beliefs in Scotland when they addressed the proposed new offense of possessing “ inflammatory material.
” “ We are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creates an offence of possessing inflammatory material which , if taken with the low threshold contained therein , could render material such as the Bible , the Catechism of the Catholic Church and other texts such as Bishops ’ Conference of Scotland submissions to government consultations as being inflammatory under the new provision , ” they wrote .
This time , the bishops offered as their example their own submission to the government on its proposed reform of the Gender Recognition Act 2004 .
In their submission , they had explained that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not “ fluid and changeable ” and that “ male and female are complementary and ordered towards the creation of new life.
” “ Such pronouncements , which are widely held , might be perceived by others as an abuse of their own , personal worldview and likely to stir up hatred , ” they warned .
The right of Catholics to profess their beliefs about human anthropology was stressed later in the document , saying that the above opinions would need a “ freedom of expression provision ” in the proposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The bishops observed that “ prominent public figures ” have been accused of “ hate ” and “ transphobia ” for arguing that a man can not become a woman and vice versa .
They also cited people accused of “ hate ” simply for using pronouns corresponding to someone ’ s biological sex .
They deplored the rise of “ cancel culture ” and hinted that some groups were being unfairly allowed to silence others .
“ No single section of society has domination over acceptable and unacceptable speech or expression , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislature and judiciary must create and interpret laws to maintain public order it must do so carefully , weighing in fundamental freedoms and allowing for reasonably held views , the expression of which is not intended to cause harm.
” The bishops warned that choosing censorship over the encouragement of respectful debate and tolerance would risk turning Scotland into “ an intolerant , illiberal society.
” Anthony Horan of the Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office told LifeSiteNews that the Scottish bishops picked the hypothetical example of biological realists prosecuting a transgenderist to underscore their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could have used any one of a number of situations to highlight the low threshold for criminal liability in the proposed new offence , this example is a measure of the bishops ’ desire for consistency under the law , ” he said .
“ The bishops feel that the criminalising of someone who calls another person a ‘ transphobe ’ is just as wrong as criminalising someone who directs an inappropriate but otherwise relatively harmless remark at someone with same-sex attraction or who is pro-abortion.
” One of the ironies of hate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholics is that Catholics have been victims of prejudice and sectarian hate in Scotland since the 16th century .
Although relationships between actual faith communities in Scotland are now good , individual attacks on Catholics and Catholic churches still occur .
“ The Bishops ’ Conference has long engaged on the issue of anti-Catholic hate and will continue to do so , though the problem there is not so much in the legislation or lack thereof , as in both the deep reformation culture pervading Scottish society and the aggressive element of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told LifeSiteNews .
“ We have , on many occasions , pointed out the disproportionate number of anti-Catholic hate crimes under religiously aggravated offences.
” Horan said that recently the government has been more willing to shift from references to “ sectarianism ” and to talk specifically about “ anti-Catholicism.
” This marked change , he said , came about as a result of intense pressure from the Bishops ’ Conference after a spate of anti-Catholic incidents .
“ However , much work needs to be done and we will continue to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and work with stakeholders to address this problem.
” Leaders of other communities in Scotland have come forward to warn of the dangers the proposed “ hate crime ” legislation poses to civil liberties in Scotland .
The Presbyterian Free Church of Scotland has expressed its concerns that the proposed new offenses will be detrimental for free speech in Scottish society .
Its leaders also fear for the criminalization of the Bible .
“ In particular we are concerned that there is a lack of clarity about what is meant by stirring up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in terms of deciding when material is actually abusive or inflammatory , ” they wrote .
“ Given people have been reported to the police for potential hate crimes for displaying verses from the Bible , could the secular courts decide that the Bible itself is inflammatory material which should be confiscated and destroyed ?
” The Scottish Police Federation released a statement saying that the bill could lead to its members , i.e .
the police , having to “ determine free speech.
” They too believe that the wording around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is too vague .
“ We are firmly of the view ( that ) this proposed legislation would see officers policing speech and would devastate the legitimacy of the police in the eyes of the public , ” said Calum Steele , the General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation .
“ That can never be an acceptable outcome - and we should never forget that the police in Scotland police only with the consent of the people.
” J.K. Rowling , the author of the Harry Potter novels , is the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hate and so-called transphobia .
Rowling has sparked transgender activists ’ ire by asserting women ’ s sex-based rights to privacy in prisons , domestic abuse shelters , and wherever else women are physically vulnerable .
Rowling has also spoken up recently in defense of children against transgenderist medical experiments .

Scottish Catholic bishops are warning that a new bill infringes on civil liberties, and expressing Christian opinions on sexuality could be illegal if it becomes law.
PETITION: Tell politicians not to discriminate against churches when reopening society! Sign the petition here.
EDINBURGH, Scotland, July 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland fears that the country’s proposed new “hate crime” legislation could criminalize the possession of a Bible or the Catholic catechism.
In a submission to the Scottish government on the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill, the Scottish Catholic bishops said they were concerned that the creation of new offenses within the multi-part legislation would impinge on civil liberties. Two of the proposed new offenses include “stirring up hatred” and “possession of inflammatory material.”
The provisions of the “stirring up hatred” offense are twofold yet imprecise. First, the behavior or communication must be threatening, abusive or, in the case of race, insulting. Second, either the actor must “intend” to stir up “hatred” against a protected group, or there is a “likelihood” that his or her behavior or communication will stir up “hatred” against a protected group. The bishops objected that the definition of “hatred” is so unclear it is open to “a wide interpretation.”
“The proposed threshold for an offence under the stirring-up provisions might be considered disproportionately low,” the bishops wrote.
They then provided a surprising hypothetical example: a group accusing a transgenderist of stirring up hatred against them for their biological realism.
“For example, A might disagree with B’s belief that a biological male cannot become a woman. A might even go so far as to say that B is ‘talking nonsense,’ and that he is ‘transphobic’ and say so either in person or on a social media platform such as Twitter. The term abusive means offensive or mistreating, and should B feel offended, the first case is met,” the bishops wrote.
“In terms of the second test, a group of people accompanying B deem the comments to be an intention to stir up hatred against them as a group, and thus the second test is met.”
They then stated that A’s behavior should not be criminalized and that criminal behavior should not be determined solely on “the subjective.”
“The test must be stronger and allow the law to be consistent and not forever stretched in multiple ways to meet the capricious sensibilities and mores of the current culture and public opinion,” they wrote.
The bishops more clearly defended the rights of Catholics and other Christians to publicly profess their beliefs in Scotland when they addressed the proposed new offense of possessing “inflammatory material.”
“We are also concerned that Section 5 of the Bill creates an offence of possessing inflammatory material which, if taken with the low threshold contained therein, could render material such as the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and other texts such as Bishops’ Conference of Scotland submissions to government consultations as being inflammatory under the new provision,” they wrote.
This time, the bishops offered as their example their own submission to the government on its proposed reform of the Gender Recognition Act 2004. In their submission, they had explained that the Catholic Church teaches that sex and gender are not “fluid and changeable” and that “male and female are complementary and ordered towards the creation of new life.”
“Such pronouncements, which are widely held, might be perceived by others as an abuse of their own, personal worldview and likely to stir up hatred,” they warned.
The right of Catholics to profess their beliefs about human anthropology was stressed later in the document, saying that the above opinions would need a “freedom of expression provision” in the proposed law for their protection from prosecution.
The bishops observed that “prominent public figures” have been accused of “hate” and “transphobia” for arguing that a man cannot become a woman and vice versa. They also cited people accused of “hate” simply for using pronouns corresponding to someone’s biological sex. They deplored the rise of “cancel culture” and hinted that some groups were being unfairly allowed to silence others.
“No single section of society has domination over acceptable and unacceptable speech or expression,” they wrote.
“Whilst the legislature and judiciary must create and interpret laws to maintain public order it must do so carefully, weighing in fundamental freedoms and allowing for reasonably held views, the expression of which is not intended to cause harm.”
The bishops warned that choosing censorship over the encouragement of respectful debate and tolerance would risk turning Scotland into “an intolerant, illiberal society.”
Anthony Horan of the Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office told LifeSiteNews that the Scottish bishops picked the hypothetical example of biological realists prosecuting a transgenderist to underscore their desire for fairness.
“Whilst we could have used any one of a number of situations to highlight the low threshold for criminal liability in the proposed new offence, this example is a measure of the bishops’ desire for consistency under the law,” he said.
“The bishops feel that the criminalising of someone who calls another person a ‘transphobe’ is just as wrong as criminalising someone who directs an inappropriate but otherwise relatively harmless remark at someone with same-sex attraction or who is pro-abortion.”
One of the ironies of hate crime legislation being a worry to Scottish Catholics is that Catholics have been victims of prejudice and sectarian hate in Scotland since the 16th century. Although relationships between actual faith communities in Scotland are now good, individual attacks on Catholics and Catholic churches still occur.
“The Bishops’ Conference has long engaged on the issue of anti-Catholic hate and will continue to do so, though the problem there is not so much in the legislation or lack thereof, as in both the deep reformation culture pervading Scottish society and the aggressive element of the emerging secular culture,” Anthony Horan told LifeSiteNews.
“We have, on many occasions, pointed out the disproportionate number of anti-Catholic hate crimes under religiously aggravated offences.”
Horan said that recently the government has been more willing to shift from references to “sectarianism” and to talk specifically about “anti-Catholicism.” This marked change, he said, came about as a result of intense pressure from the Bishops’ Conference after a spate of anti-Catholic incidents.
“However, much work needs to be done and we will continue to do what we can to pressure the government and work with stakeholders to address this problem.”
Leaders of other communities in Scotland have come forward to warn of the dangers the proposed “hate crime” legislation poses to civil liberties in Scotland. The Presbyterian Free Church of Scotland has expressed its concerns that the proposed new offenses will be detrimental for free speech in Scottish society. Its leaders also fear for the criminalization of the Bible.
“In particular we are concerned that there is a lack of clarity about what is meant by stirring up hatred and both offences are incredibly subjective in terms of deciding when material is actually abusive or inflammatory,” they wrote.
“Given people have been reported to the police for potential hate crimes for displaying verses from the Bible, could the secular courts decide that the Bible itself is inflammatory material which should be confiscated and destroyed?”
The Scottish Police Federation released a statement saying that the bill could lead to its members, i.e. the police, having to “determine free speech.” They too believe that the wording around the offense of “stirring up hatred” is too vague.
“We are firmly of the view (that) this proposed legislation would see officers policing speech and would devastate the legitimacy of the police in the eyes of the public,” said Calum Steele, the General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation.
“That can never be an acceptable outcome – and we should never forget that the police in Scotland police only with the consent of the people.”
J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter novels, is the most prominent resident of Scotland to be accused of hate and so-called transphobia. Rowling has sparked transgender activists’ ire by asserting women’s sex-based rights to privacy in prisons, domestic abuse shelters, and wherever else women are physically vulnerable. Rowling has also spoken up recently in defense of children against transgenderist medical experiments.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-07-30--Leaked email shows UK health authority aware of 2 maternal deaths connected to DIY abortion pills

PETITION : Hold UN accountable for babies killed by sex-selection abortion !
Sign the petition here .
UNITED KINGDOM , July 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Two women in England have died after taking abortion pills sent via post , according to a leaked email from a senior chief midwife at NHS England .
Kevin Duffy , a former director of abortion organization Marie Stopes International , presented the email yesterday as part of a judicial review of the government ’ s coronavirus regulations which authorize women in England to kill their preborn children at home by using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In addition to the maternal deaths , the email says that multiple women have been hospitalized with serious health complications after taking the pills and that police are investigating three incidents related to abortion pills sent via the post , including a baby suspected of being murdered after being born alive .
“ [ W ] e are aware there have been two maternal deaths linked to this issue , ” the email reads .
“ One case where a woman was found at home the morning after starting the process and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sepsis and died very quickly in the A & E dept .
Neither of these women were known to our maternity or gynae service as far as we are aware.
” The email goes on to say that other incidents include “ women attending ED with significant pain and bleeding related to the process through to ruptured ectopics , major resuscitation for major haemorrhage and the delivery of infants who are up to 30 weeks gestation.
” “ There was also a near miss where a woman had received the pills by post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attended a trust and was found to be 32 weeks , ” the email continues .
Under the new regulations the time limit for taking the abortion pills is 10 weeks .
Under the 1967 Abortion Act , abortions are permitted in England under exceptions to earlier laws that make it a criminal offense .
The Abortion Act allows abortions up to 24 weeks , providing it is carried out by a registered doctor , that two doctors agree that the mother ’ s physical or mental health is at risk , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Abortions may also be done up to birth if the child is disabled or in certain other circumstances .
“ There are 3 police investigations ... linked to these incidents and one of those is currently a murder investigation as there is a concern that the baby was live born , ” the email continues .
The email is detailing concerns raised by the Care Quality Commission ( CQC ) , with regional Chief Medical Officers and the serious incidents reported coming from just two NHS regions .
The CQC is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social care services in England .
The email says the CQC had shared their view that compared with the number of women using the pills by post “ circa 16,000 since March , ” that the 13 incidents “ is very small in number , ” though they recognized that the “ poor outcomes for women is tragic.
” The author of the email , whose name has not been disclosed , says there is concern that the incidents would make it more difficult for women to obtain abortion pills .
“ Given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is concern that there is a risk of changing the process and that having a greater impact on women and girls [ ’ ] choices , ” the email says .
The email was presented as part of Christian Concern ’ s legal challenge of the new government regulations which authorize women in England to kill their preborn children at home by taking both abortion pills there .
When the regulations were announced in March , a government spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said that the change was being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is time-limited for two years , or until the coronavirus crisis is over .
It was the third time the abortion law had changed in the space of a week ; the government had first announced the change and then reversed the decision within 24 hours .
At the beginning of July , an attempt by the U.K. abortion lobby to pass legislation to permanently allow women to commit abortions at home by means of abortion pills was delayed after the government promised to hold a public consultation on the question .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a public consultation , Minister for Women Victoria Atkins MP said that the current measures would be kept in place until the consultation has concluded and a decision has been made .
While Duffy , the former Global Director of Clinics Development at Marie Stopes International is not opposed to abortion , he recently led an undercover investigation which showed U.K. abortionists sending out abortion pills via mail without completing basic checks about the people ordering them .
The presiding judge at yesterday ’ s judicial review , Lady Justice King , refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said that she would give reason for the refusal later .
Andrea Williams , chief executive of Christian Concern , said in a press release that the leaked email is “ a sickening admission that those running abortion services in England have elevated ideology over women ’ s safety.
” “ The email appears to suggest that pregnant women who have used the telemedicine service during UK lockdown have died or experienced serious life-changing complications , ” Williams said .
“ This further confirms the inherent danger of DIY abortions and shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women – and no concern for babies – have captured NHS England as well as the providers and professional bodies .
”

In addition to the maternal deaths, the email says that multiple women have been hospitalized with serious health complications after taking the pills.
PETITION: Hold UN accountable for babies killed by sex-selection abortion! Sign the petition here.
UNITED KINGDOM, July 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Two women in England have died after taking abortion pills sent via post, according to a leaked email from a senior chief midwife at NHS England.
Kevin Duffy, a former director of abortion organization Marie Stopes International, presented the email yesterday as part of a judicial review of the government’s coronavirus regulations which authorize women in England to kill their preborn children at home by using both pills for a chemical early abortion.
In addition to the maternal deaths, the email says that multiple women have been hospitalized with serious health complications after taking the pills and that police are investigating three incidents related to abortion pills sent via the post, including a baby suspected of being murdered after being born alive.
“[W]e are aware there have been two maternal deaths linked to this issue,” the email reads.
“One case where a woman was found at home the morning after starting the process and the second where a woman presented with sepsis and died very quickly in the A&E dept. Neither of these women were known to our maternity or gynae service as far as we are aware.”
The email goes on to say that other incidents include “women attending ED with significant pain and bleeding related to the process through to ruptured ectopics, major resuscitation for major haemorrhage and the delivery of infants who are up to 30 weeks gestation.”
“There was also a near miss where a woman had received the pills by post and then wished for a scan so attended a trust and was found to be 32 weeks,” the email continues.
Under the new regulations the time limit for taking the abortion pills is 10 weeks. Under the 1967 Abortion Act, abortions are permitted in England under exceptions to earlier laws that make it a criminal offense. The Abortion Act allows abortions up to 24 weeks, providing it is carried out by a registered doctor, that two doctors agree that the mother’s physical or mental health is at risk, or that the child will be seriously disabled. Abortions may also be done up to birth if the child is disabled or in certain other circumstances.
“There are 3 police investigations…linked to these incidents and one of those is currently a murder investigation as there is a concern that the baby was live born,” the email continues.
The email is detailing concerns raised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), with regional Chief Medical Officers and the serious incidents reported coming from just two NHS regions. The CQC is a public body which regulates all health and social care services in England.
The email says the CQC had shared their view that compared with the number of women using the pills by post “circa 16,000 since March,” that the 13 incidents “is very small in number,” though they recognized that the “poor outcomes for women is tragic.”
The author of the email, whose name has not been disclosed, says there is concern that the incidents would make it more difficult for women to obtain abortion pills.
“Given the perceived small number of incidents there is concern that there is a risk of changing the process and that having a greater impact on women and girls[’] choices,” the email says.
The email was presented as part of Christian Concern’s legal challenge of the new government regulations which authorize women in England to kill their preborn children at home by taking both abortion pills there.
When the regulations were announced in March, a government spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said that the change was being made on a temporary basis only and is time-limited for two years, or until the coronavirus crisis is over. It was the third time the abortion law had changed in the space of a week; the government had first announced the change and then reversed the decision within 24 hours.
At the beginning of July, an attempt by the U.K. abortion lobby to pass legislation to permanently allow women to commit abortions at home by means of abortion pills was delayed after the government promised to hold a public consultation on the question. When announcing the government's plan to hold a public consultation, Minister for Women Victoria Atkins MP said that the current measures would be kept in place until the consultation has concluded and a decision has been made.
While Duffy, the former Global Director of Clinics Development at Marie Stopes International is not opposed to abortion, he recently led an undercover investigation which showed U.K. abortionists sending out abortion pills via mail without completing basic checks about the people ordering them.
The presiding judge at yesterday’s judicial review, Lady Justice King, refused to consider the leaked email as evidence and said that she would give reason for the refusal later.
Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, said in a press release that the leaked email is “a sickening admission that those running abortion services in England have elevated ideology over women’s safety.”
“The email appears to suggest that pregnant women who have used the telemedicine service during UK lockdown have died or experienced serious life-changing complications,” Williams said.
“This further confirms the inherent danger of DIY abortions and shows how ideologues who show little concern for women – and no concern for babies – have captured NHS England as well as the providers and professional bodies.”
Share


lifesitenews--2020-07-30--Chinese hackers targeted Vatican ahead of negotiations on bishop nominations: report

ROME , Italy , July 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A group of cybersecurity experts has found out that Chinese hackers , likely on behalf of the communist Chinese government , have spied on the Vatican for months .
The breach in security was discovered ahead of negotiations to extend the controversial secret deal between the Vatican and China on the nomination of bishops .
“ From early May 2020 , [ t ] he Vatican and the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong were among several Catholic Church-related organizations that were targeted by RedDelta , a Chinese-state sponsored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Future , a U.S.-based cybersecurity company .
Recorded Future was founded in 2009 , aiming to predict future events by looking at data found online .
The company “ monitors tens of thousands of websites , blogs and Twitter accounts in real time in order to find patterns , events and relationships that may predict the future , ” explained Juan Gonzalez for Democracy Now !
in 2010 .
According to the 21-page report on China and the Vatican released on Tuesday , “ This series of suspected network intrusions also targeted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions ( PIME ) , Italy .
These organizations have not been publicly reported as targets of Chinese threat activity groups prior to this campaign.
” “ These network intrusions occured [ sic ] ahead of the anticipated September 2020 renewal of the landmark 2018 China-Vatican provisional agreement , a deal which reportedly resulted in the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) gaining more control and oversight over the country ’ s historically persecuted ‘ underground ’ Catholic community , ” Recorded Future stated .
“ In addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely target of the campaign includes the current head of the Hong Kong Study Mission to China [ Javier Herrera Corona ] , whose predecessor [ Ante Jozić ] was considered to have played a vital role in the 2018 agreement.
” The cybersecurity experts also speculated on what China could have gained by hacking the Vatican and various other Catholic institutions .
“ The suspected intrusion into the Vatican would offer RedDelta insight into the negotiating position of the Holy See ahead of the deal ’ s September 2020 renewal , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeting of the Hong Kong Study Mission and its Catholic Diocese could also provide a valuable intelligence source for both monitoring the diocese ’ s relations with the Vatican and its position on Hong Kong ’ s pro-democracy movement amidst widespread protests and the recent sweeping Hong Kong national security law.
” Recorded Future ’ s detailed and very technical report came away with the judgment that targeting Catholic institutions “ is likely indicative of CCP objectives in consolidating control over the ‘ underground ’ Catholic church , ‘ sinicizing religions ’ in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Vatican within China ’ s Catholic community.
” Additionally , although not able to say this with absolute certainty , Recorded Future believes that the group of hackers “ likely operates on behalf of the People ’ s Republic of China ( PRC ) government.
” The Chinese government is using the internet not only for hacking attacks on Catholic institutions .
It is also known to use digital technology – partly made by American companies – to target and repress religious groups more than ever before , as explained by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom last Wednesday .
While religious persecution has always been a part of communist China , new technologies have made “ that repression far more effective , ” said Meserole , who works with the Brookings Institution and teaches at Georgetown University .
He explained that formerly , the government was generally only able to “ to repress public forms of religious organizations , practices , identities , and beliefs , particularly in urban areas.
” Religion practiced privately at home , on the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Digital technologies have changed that , ” argued Meserole .
“ As processors , sensors , and cameras have proliferated , the extent of religious life that the CCP can surveil has expanded dramatically.
” “ Video and audio surveillance of public mosques , churches , and temples has exploded , ” he pointed out .
“ Rather than simply shut down a religious school or house of worship , authorities can monitor all activity and individuals within those facilities and sanction undesired behavior or individuals with greater specificity.
” In fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down a church in Beijing for refusing to install video surveillance equipment in the building .
Digital technologies also help the government to target underground religious organizations and networks , he continued .
“ From video feeds to GPS tracking , authorities have greater ability to detect religious groups that meet and operate covertly.
” “ In Xinjiang , for instance , smartphone location data , vehicle location data , checkpoint logs , facial recognition technology , and video feeds from buses , streets , and drones , can be used to identify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet together covertly , potentially even in real-time.
” A report by the U.S. government released in January 2020 found that the “ intensity ” of religious persecution , which has not been seen “ since the Cultural Revolution , ” was linked to the Vatican signing a secret deal with the Chinese communist government to give the government more power over the Church in the country .
Cardinal Joseph Zen , the former bishop of Hong Kong , is the most outspoken critic of the Vatican ’ s China deal .
Already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s obvious .
They are delivering the whole administration of the Church into the hands of the so-called ‘ Patriotic Association , ’ which is just a puppet in the hands of the government .
And so it ’ s a complete surrender .
It ’ s incredible .
”

Chinese hackers, likely on behalf of the communist Chinese government, have spied on the Vatican for months, says the report.
ROME, Italy, July 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A group of cybersecurity experts has found out that Chinese hackers, likely on behalf of the communist Chinese government, have spied on the Vatican for months. The breach in security was discovered ahead of negotiations to extend the controversial secret deal between the Vatican and China on the nomination of bishops.
“From early May 2020, [t]he Vatican and the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong were among several Catholic Church-related organizations that were targeted by RedDelta, a Chinese-state sponsored threat activity group,” reported Recorded Future, a U.S.-based cybersecurity company.
Recorded Future was founded in 2009, aiming to predict future events by looking at data found online. The company “monitors tens of thousands of websites, blogs and Twitter accounts in real time in order to find patterns, events and relationships that may predict the future,” explained Juan Gonzalez for Democracy Now! in 2010.
According to the 21-page report on China and the Vatican released on Tuesday, “This series of suspected network intrusions also targeted the Hong Kong Study Mission to China and the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), Italy. These organizations have not been publicly reported as targets of Chinese threat activity groups prior to this campaign.”
“These network intrusions occured [sic] ahead of the anticipated September 2020 renewal of the landmark 2018 China-Vatican provisional agreement, a deal which reportedly resulted in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) gaining more control and oversight over the country’s historically persecuted ‘underground’ Catholic community,” Recorded Future stated.
“In addition to the Holy See itself, another likely target of the campaign includes the current head of the Hong Kong Study Mission to China [Javier Herrera Corona], whose predecessor [Ante Jozić] was considered to have played a vital role in the 2018 agreement.”
The cybersecurity experts also speculated on what China could have gained by hacking the Vatican and various other Catholic institutions.
“The suspected intrusion into the Vatican would offer RedDelta insight into the negotiating position of the Holy See ahead of the deal’s September 2020 renewal,” according to Recorded Future. “The targeting of the Hong Kong Study Mission and its Catholic Diocese could also provide a valuable intelligence source for both monitoring the diocese’s relations with the Vatican and its position on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement amidst widespread protests and the recent sweeping Hong Kong national security law.”
Recorded Future’s detailed and very technical report came away with the judgment that targeting Catholic institutions “is likely indicative of CCP objectives in consolidating control over the ‘underground’ Catholic church, ‘sinicizing religions’ in China, and diminishing the perceived influence of the Vatican within China’s Catholic community.”
Additionally, although not able to say this with absolute certainty, Recorded Future believes that the group of hackers “likely operates on behalf of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government.”
The Chinese government is using the internet not only for hacking attacks on Catholic institutions. It is also known to use digital technology – partly made by American companies – to target and repress religious groups more than ever before, as explained by foreign policy expert Chris Meserole during a hearing of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom last Wednesday.
While religious persecution has always been a part of communist China, new technologies have made “that repression far more effective,” said Meserole, who works with the Brookings Institution and teaches at Georgetown University.
He explained that formerly, the government was generally only able to “to repress public forms of religious organizations, practices, identities, and beliefs, particularly in urban areas.” Religion practiced privately at home, on the other hand, was relatively safe.
“Digital technologies have changed that,” argued Meserole. “As processors, sensors, and cameras have proliferated, the extent of religious life that the CCP can surveil has expanded dramatically.”
“Video and audio surveillance of public mosques, churches, and temples has exploded,” he pointed out. “Rather than simply shut down a religious school or house of worship, authorities can monitor all activity and individuals within those facilities and sanction undesired behavior or individuals with greater specificity.”
In fact, Meserole said, the government recently shut down a church in Beijing for refusing to install video surveillance equipment in the building.
Digital technologies also help the government to target underground religious organizations and networks, he continued. “From video feeds to GPS tracking, authorities have greater ability to detect religious groups that meet and operate covertly.”
“In Xinjiang, for instance, smartphone location data, vehicle location data, checkpoint logs, facial recognition technology, and video feeds from buses, streets, and drones, can be used to identify when individuals in the same religious network meet together covertly, potentially even in real-time.”
A report by the U.S. government released in January 2020 found that the “intensity” of religious persecution, which has not been seen “since the Cultural Revolution,” was linked to the Vatican signing a secret deal with the Chinese communist government to give the government more power over the Church in the country.
Cardinal Joseph Zen, the former bishop of Hong Kong, is the most outspoken critic of the Vatican’s China deal. Already in early 2018, he said, “It’s obvious. They are delivering the whole administration of the Church into the hands of the so-called ‘Patriotic Association,’ which is just a puppet in the hands of the government. And so it’s a complete surrender. It’s incredible.”
Share


lifesitenews--2020-07-30--US congressman to Bezos: Amazon needs to ‘divorce’ far-left SPLC that calls Christians ‘hateful’

PETITION : Break up Big Tech tyrants and defend free speech !
Sign the petition here .
WASHINGTON D.C. , July 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R-FL ) told Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos that his company needs to cut ties with the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center , which labels a number of Christian , pro-life , and pro-family organizations “ hate groups.
” Gaetz questioned Bezos , who is the richest man in the world , yesterday during the antitrust hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives over the role of the SPLC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its AmazonSmile program , Amazon donates 0.5 percent of customer purchases to nonprofit organizations selected from an approved list that excludes conservative and Christian organizations incorrectly identified by the SLPC as “ hate groups.
” The program has reportedly donated more than $ 100 million , making it one of the largest sources of consumer earmarked charitable support in the United States , according to the shareholder proposal ( # 12 , pages 41-43 ) .
The SPLC is a far-left group infamous for its efforts to drive conservative and pro-family organizations out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with extremist racist groups like the Aryan Nation and the Ku Klux Klan .
Despite its popular media framing as an authority on “ extremism , ” SPLC has found itself on the losing end of at least one defamation suit for its work , and has been called by insiders a “ highly profitable scam ” that uses “ civil-rights work mainly as a marketing tool for bilking gullible Northern liberals.
” The SPLC is also linked to domestic terrorism .
In August 2012 , pro-LGBT activist Floyd Lee Corkins II entered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( FRC ) , armed with an SPLC list of “ hate groups ” and planning to , per his own confession , “ kill as many as possible and smear the Chick-fil-A sandwiches in victims ’ faces , and kill the guard.
” Corkins was packing a loaded , semi-automatic pistol and 100 rounds of ammunition .
He shot security guard Leo Johnson , who nevertheless tackled Corkins and saved the lives of his FRC co-workers .
Corkins was the first person ever convicted for domestic terrorism under Washington , D.C. law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in prison .
“ Mr .
Bezos , I am deeply moved by your personal story .
I am not here accusing you as someone who would traffic in hate , but it seems you have empowered people who do , and I am particularly talking about the Southern Poverty Law Center , ” Gaetz began .
“ The Southern Poverty Law Center , which you allow to dictate who can receive donations on your AmazonSmile platform , have said the Catholic Family News , Catholic Family Ministries , the Federation for American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Family Research Council , the Jewish Defense League , even Dr. Ben Carson , are extremists and should be treated differently , ” the Florida congressman continued .
“ Dr .
Carson is on the cabinet , is one of the most renowned minds in America .
I ’ m just wondering why you would place your confidence in a group that seems to be so out of step and seems to take mainstream Christian doctrine and label it as hate ?
” he asked .
“ We use the Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charities are extremist organizations .
We also use the U.S. Foreign Asset office to do the same thing , ” the Amazon CEO explained .
“ But why ?
Since they ’ re calling Catholics and these Jewish groups hateful groups , why would you trust them ?
” Gaetz demanded .
“ Sir , I ’ m going to acknowledge this is an imperfect system , ” Bezos replied , adding that he would “ love suggestions on better or additional sources.
” “ My suggestion would be a divorce from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the floor .
In May , Amazon ’ s Board of Directors urged investors to reject a proposal calling for an end to its “ viewpoint discrimination ” against conservative and Christian organizations through its reliance on the SPLC as the “ gatekeeper ” to the AmazonSmile charitable program .
During yesterday ’ s hearing Gaetz also accused Google of election interference through the blacklisting of conservative news websites from its online search results , after Google CEO Sundar Pichai admitted that the creation of lists of blocked sites “ can involve a @ @ @ @

'I’m just wondering why you would place your confidence in a group that seems to be so out of step and seems to take mainstream Christian doctrine and label it as hate?' asked Rep. Matt Gaetz.
PETITION: Break up Big Tech tyrants and defend free speech! Sign the petition here.
WASHINGTON D.C., July 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) told Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos that his company needs to cut ties with the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center, which labels a number of Christian, pro-life, and pro-family organizations “hate groups.”
Gaetz questioned Bezos, who is the richest man in the world, yesterday during the antitrust hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives over the role of the SPLC in approving organizations for AmazonSmile.
Through its AmazonSmile program, Amazon donates 0.5 percent of customer purchases to nonprofit organizations selected from an approved list that excludes conservative and Christian organizations incorrectly identified by the SLPC as “hate groups.” The program has reportedly donated more than $100 million, making it one of the largest sources of consumer earmarked charitable support in the United States, according to the shareholder proposal (#12, pages 41-43).
The SPLC is a far-left group infamous for its efforts to drive conservative and pro-family organizations out of mainstream society by lumping them in with extremist racist groups like the Aryan Nation and the Ku Klux Klan. Despite its popular media framing as an authority on “extremism,” SPLC has found itself on the losing end of at least one defamation suit for its work, and has been called by insiders a “highly profitable scam” that uses “civil-rights work mainly as a marketing tool for bilking gullible Northern liberals.”
The SPLC is also linked to domestic terrorism. In August 2012, pro-LGBT activist Floyd Lee Corkins II entered the lobby of the Family Research Council (FRC), armed with an SPLC list of “hate groups” and planning to, per his own confession, “kill as many as possible and smear the Chick-fil-A sandwiches in victims’ faces, and kill the guard.” Corkins was packing a loaded, semi-automatic pistol and 100 rounds of ammunition.
He shot security guard Leo Johnson, who nevertheless tackled Corkins and saved the lives of his FRC co-workers.
Corkins was the first person ever convicted for domestic terrorism under Washington, D.C. law. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
“Mr. Bezos, I am deeply moved by your personal story. I am not here accusing you as someone who would traffic in hate, but it seems you have empowered people who do, and I am particularly talking about the Southern Poverty Law Center,” Gaetz began.
“The Southern Poverty Law Center, which you allow to dictate who can receive donations on your AmazonSmile platform, have said the Catholic Family News, Catholic Family Ministries, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, the American Family Association, the Family Research Council, the Jewish Defense League, even Dr. Ben Carson, are extremists and should be treated differently,” the Florida congressman continued.
“Dr. Carson is on the cabinet, is one of the most renowned minds in America. I’m just wondering why you would place your confidence in a group that seems to be so out of step and seems to take mainstream Christian doctrine and label it as hate?” he asked.
“Sir, it’s a good question,” Bezos responded.
“We use the Southern Poverty Law Center data to say which charities are extremist organizations. We also use the U.S. Foreign Asset office to do the same thing,” the Amazon CEO explained.
“But why? Since they’re calling Catholics and these Jewish groups hateful groups, why would you trust them?” Gaetz demanded.
“Sir, I’m going to acknowledge this is an imperfect system,” Bezos replied, adding that he would “love suggestions on better or additional sources.”
“My suggestion would be a divorce from the SPLC,” Gaetz said before relinquishing the floor.
.@RepMattGaetz challenges Jeff Bezos for using the Souther Poverty Law Center to dictate who can receive donations on Amazon Smile: “Why you would place your confidence in a group that is so out of step and seems to take mainstream Christian doctrine and label it as hate?” pic.twitter.com/FedLAuHO4s — Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 29, 2020
In May, Amazon’s Board of Directors urged investors to reject a proposal calling for an end to its “viewpoint discrimination” against conservative and Christian organizations through its reliance on the SPLC as the “gatekeeper” to the AmazonSmile charitable program.
During yesterday’s hearing Gaetz also accused Google of election interference through the blacklisting of conservative news websites from its online search results, after Google CEO Sundar Pichai admitted that the creation of lists of blocked sites “can involve a manual portion.”
Share


lifesitenews--2020-07-30--The government has forgotten that God’s law trumps state law by shutting down churches

Formerly Heart to Heart with Mother Miriam , Mother Miriam Live brings you inspiration and solutions for life ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Miriam is a Catholic nun on a mission to bring hope to a world that @ @ @ @ @ let her share that hope and joy with you !
To tune into Mother Miriam @ @ @ @ @ Facebook page here every Monday to Friday at 10am .

To help keep this and other programs on the air, please donate here.
Watch Mother Miriam's Live originally aired on 7.30.2020. In today’s episode, Mother Miriam shares a talk from Cardinal Raymond Burke from the Rome Life Forum in which he speaks about the over reach of government in shutting down churches.
Read Cardinal Burke’s transcript here.
You can tune in daily at 10 am EST/7 am PST on our Facebook Page.
Subscribe to Mother Miriam Live email updates here.


lifesitenews--2020-07-30--Daleiden and Merritt appealing charges in Planned Parenthood body parts criminal case

URGENT PETITION : Tell the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade !
Sign the petition here .
SAN FRANCISCO , California , July 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Lawyers for pro-life investigators David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt are heading to the appeal court after a San Francisco judge dropped only one criminal charge against Daleiden and two against Merritt in an online “ motion to dismiss ” hearing Tuesday .
The Center for Medical Progress ( CMP ) undercover journalists are still charged with eight felony counts of breaking California ’ s anti-eavesdropping law in connection with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parenthood harvesting and trafficking in aborted baby body parts .
Daleiden and Merritt could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted .
Defense lawyers asked San Francisco Superior Court Judge Suzanne Ramos Bolanos to drop all 10 charges against Daleiden and Merritt in a motion filed under the California Penal Code 995 provision that allows a new judge to review the findings of a preliminary hearing .
Following a September preliminary hearing , Judge Christopher Hite ruled in December that Daleiden and Merritt must stand trial on nine of an original @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of illegal taping and one of conspiring to do so .
California Democrat Attorney General Xavier Becerra then added the charge of manufacturing , transporting , or furnishing “ a deceptive identification document.
” Bolanos dropped one charge against Daleiden and Merritt as “ duplicative , ” and ruled there was insufficient evidence to charge Merritt with illegal use of a false ID .
However , Daleiden still faces the false ID charge , and his lawyers from the Thomas More Society will be back in court in early August to argue a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Both Thomas More Society and Liberty Counsel , which is defending Merritt , will now appeal the ruling , and both legal teams point to the political nature of the prosecution against their clients , which was initiated by Becerra ’ s predecessor , now-Senator Kamala Harris .
“ The political careers of both Becerra and Harris have been supported and financed by Planned Parenthood , ” noted a Thomas More Society press release .
“ The attorney general ’ s political prosecution of Sandra Merritt is coming off the rails as two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissed , ” said Liberty Counsel lawyer Horatio Mihet in a press release .
“ We will continue to vigorously defend Sandra at every stage and will not rest until this runaway train is fully derailed.
” Daleiden and Merritt secretly recorded gatherings of abortionists and representatives of organ harvesting companies , such as Stem Express and Advanced Bioscience Resources , notably during the 2014 and 2015 National Abortion Federation trade shows .
The CMP undercover videos released in July 2015 showing Planned Parenthood executives callously discussing how to dismember babies to procure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aborted baby parts shocked the country .
They led to congressional hearings and an ongoing Department of Justice criminal investigation into Planned Parenthood .
Affirmative defense and ‘ reasonable belief ’ that CMP would find evidence of infanticide Defense lawyers are arguing that California law , which requires that both parties consent to the recording of conversations , does not consider conversations that can reasonably be expected to be overheard as confidential .
They are also using a Section 633.5 “ affirmative defense , ” which permits people to covertly tape confidential information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of violent crimes against the person .
Thomas More Society president Thomas Brejcha described Bolanos ’ handling of the lengthy hearing as a “ brush off ” of Daleiden ’ s affirmative defenses .
“ David had a reasonable belief that he could find evidence of a felony crime of violence against human beings , namely , infanticide , that is , the killing of babies born alive with beating hearts , ” stated Brejcha in a press release .
“ These children – whom fetal tissue traffickers refer to as ‘ intact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whom ‘ fresh ’ organs were harvested and ‘ donated.
’ These ‘ donations ’ were acquired at premium prices in dollar amounts bearing no ascertainable relationship to actual costs incurred in their ‘ production.
’ ” Hite ’ s ruling made little mention of testimony presented during the hearing that backed up the affirmative defense , noted Brejcha .
This included Dr. Theresa Deisher ’ s testimony that fetal hearts used in research must be harvested from living babies , something she told Daleiden when he asked her about a 2012 Stanford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” supplied by Stem Express .
“ An ABC 20/20 news program , hosted by ‘ gold standard ’ journalist Chris Wallace , was shown before the judge in open court .
The contents quite clearly had an impact on Judge Hite , ” said Brejcha .
“ His terse dismissal of the defense in his final written ruling betrayed what struck us , as defense counsel , as his difficulty in dealing with this evidence .
In the Section 995 hearing , Judge Bolanos likewise seemed anxious to avoid dealing with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must have not believed it.
” That was echoed by Thomas More Society lawyer Peter Breen .
“ In a Section 995 hearing , a trial judge is asked to dismiss the criminal complaint - entirely or partially — because the judge at the preliminary hearing incorrectly allowed the case to move forward , ” Breen said .
“ That was the thrust of our argument before Judge Bolanos .
She made an erroneous assumption that Judge Christopher Hite found the witnesses in the pre-trial hearing not credible , when in fact it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them credible.
” Meanwhile , Planned Parenthood successfully sued Daleiden , Merritt , along with Troy Newman of Operation Rescue , founding CMP board member Albin Rhomberg , and CMP investigative journalist Gerardo Adrian Lopez .
In April , United States District Judge William H. Orrick ordered the pro-lifers to pay Planned Parenthood over $ 1.5 million .
In May , CMP and Daleiden filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood , Kamala Harris , and Becerra in Los Angeles federal court for conspiracy to violate their First and Fourteenth Amendment civil rights .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Daleiden with possible jail time

David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
URGENT PETITION: Tell the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade! Sign the petition here.
SAN FRANCISCO, California, July 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Lawyers for pro-life investigators David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt are heading to the appeal court after a San Francisco judge dropped only one criminal charge against Daleiden and two against Merritt in an online “motion to dismiss” hearing Tuesday.
The Center for Medical Progress (CMP) undercover journalists are still charged with eight felony counts of breaking California’s anti-eavesdropping law in connection with their groundbreaking sting operation that exposed Planned Parenthood harvesting and trafficking in aborted baby body parts.
Daleiden and Merritt could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Defense lawyers asked San Francisco Superior Court Judge Suzanne Ramos Bolanos to drop all 10 charges against Daleiden and Merritt in a motion filed under the California Penal Code 995 provision that allows a new judge to review the findings of a preliminary hearing.
Following a September preliminary hearing, Judge Christopher Hite ruled in December that Daleiden and Merritt must stand trial on nine of an original 15 felony counts, including eight counts of illegal taping and one of conspiring to do so.
California Democrat Attorney General Xavier Becerra then added the charge of manufacturing, transporting, or furnishing “a deceptive identification document.”
Bolanos dropped one charge against Daleiden and Merritt as “duplicative,” and ruled there was insufficient evidence to charge Merritt with illegal use of a false ID.
However, Daleiden still faces the false ID charge, and his lawyers from the Thomas More Society will be back in court in early August to argue a motion to “defer” it.
Both Thomas More Society and Liberty Counsel, which is defending Merritt, will now appeal the ruling, and both legal teams point to the political nature of the prosecution against their clients, which was initiated by Becerra’s predecessor, now-Senator Kamala Harris.
“The political careers of both Becerra and Harris have been supported and financed by Planned Parenthood,” noted a Thomas More Society press release.
“The attorney general’s political prosecution of Sandra Merritt is coming off the rails as two more of his bogus charges are now dismissed,” said Liberty Counsel lawyer Horatio Mihet in a press release.
“We will continue to vigorously defend Sandra at every stage and will not rest until this runaway train is fully derailed.”
Daleiden and Merritt secretly recorded gatherings of abortionists and representatives of organ harvesting companies, such as Stem Express and Advanced Bioscience Resources, notably during the 2014 and 2015 National Abortion Federation trade shows.
The CMP undercover videos released in July 2015 showing Planned Parenthood executives callously discussing how to dismember babies to procure intact organs and haggling over fees of aborted baby parts shocked the country. They led to congressional hearings and an ongoing Department of Justice criminal investigation into Planned Parenthood.
Affirmative defense and ‘reasonable belief’ that CMP would find evidence of infanticide
Defense lawyers are arguing that California law, which requires that both parties consent to the recording of conversations, does not consider conversations that can reasonably be expected to be overheard as confidential.
They are also using a Section 633.5 “affirmative defense,” which permits people to covertly tape confidential information if they believe they are gathering evidence of violent crimes against the person.
Thomas More Society president Thomas Brejcha described Bolanos’ handling of the lengthy hearing as a “brush off” of Daleiden’s affirmative defenses.
“David had a reasonable belief that he could find evidence of a felony crime of violence against human beings, namely, infanticide, that is, the killing of babies born alive with beating hearts,” stated Brejcha in a press release.
“These children – whom fetal tissue traffickers refer to as ‘intact fetuses’ – are the source from whom ‘fresh’ organs were harvested and ‘donated.’ These ‘donations’ were acquired at premium prices in dollar amounts bearing no ascertainable relationship to actual costs incurred in their ‘production.’”
Hite’s ruling made little mention of testimony presented during the hearing that backed up the affirmative defense, noted Brejcha.
This included Dr. Theresa Deisher’s testimony that fetal hearts used in research must be harvested from living babies, something she told Daleiden when he asked her about a 2012 Stanford study that used “human fetal hearts” supplied by Stem Express.
“An ABC 20/20 news program, hosted by ‘gold standard’ journalist Chris Wallace, was shown before the judge in open court. The contents quite clearly had an impact on Judge Hite,” said Brejcha.
“His terse dismissal of the defense in his final written ruling betrayed what struck us, as defense counsel, as his difficulty in dealing with this evidence. In the Section 995 hearing, Judge Bolanos likewise seemed anxious to avoid dealing with the evidence, simply inferring that Judge Hite must have not believed it.”
That was echoed by Thomas More Society lawyer Peter Breen.
“In a Section 995 hearing, a trial judge is asked to dismiss the criminal complaint – entirely or partially — because the judge at the preliminary hearing incorrectly allowed the case to move forward,” Breen said.
“That was the thrust of our argument before Judge Bolanos. She made an erroneous assumption that Judge Christopher Hite found the witnesses in the pre-trial hearing not credible, when in fact it seems clear that Judge Hite did find them credible.”
Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood successfully sued Daleiden, Merritt, along with Troy Newman of Operation Rescue, founding CMP board member Albin Rhomberg, and CMP investigative journalist Gerardo Adrian Lopez. In April, United States District Judge William H. Orrick ordered the pro-lifers to pay Planned Parenthood over $1.5 million.
In May, CMP and Daleiden filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood, Kamala Harris, and Becerra in Los Angeles federal court for conspiracy to violate their First and Fourteenth Amendment civil rights.
RELATED:
Baby body parts criminal trial to proceed against Daleiden with possible jail time
Daleiden sues Planned Parenthood, Kamala Harris, California AG for violating his civil rights
Pro-life investigators ordered to pay $1.5 million in Planned Parenthood baby parts case
Share