lifesitenews--2020-06-15--German archdiocese endorses posing monstrance in sacrilegious photo ops

June 15 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The Archdiocese of Munich has endorsed a bizarre and sacrilegious website that supposedly celebrates and elaborates the message of Corpus Christi .
The creators , two “ pastoral advisers , ” Michael Raz and Johannes van Kruijsbergen , explain ( translated from German by Google ) : And so we have photographs of a monstrance in a playground , on a roadside bench , on a pedestrian crossing , in a car , next to a building site , on a water feature in a park , and so on , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one : how our lives are bit like a building site or whatever .
It shouldn ’ t need to be pointed out that the Blessed Sacrament should not be carried around simply to provide photo opportunities , and it certainly shouldn ’ t be dumped on park benches or in the middle of a road for no good reason ( see Canon 935 ) .
Nor is there any indication that it was a priest , or even a duly instituted lay person , who was manhandling this monstrance about the place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little boy grasping it ( see Canon 943 ) .
It is a sad reflection on the state of the Church in Bavaria that the sixty pastors apparently consulted on the idea didn ’ t appear to notice its liturgical impropriety .
What were they thinking ?
The reality of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament is not referred to in the little meditations .
On the other hand , the whole object of the exercise is to show ( as the title of the website says ) “ Gott — mitten in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the middle of the world.
” It appears that the Host displayed in the monstrance was not consecrated ; in any case , the monstrance is itself a sacred vessel worthy of respect .
Indeed , they have presumably chosen a rather lovely traditional monstrance , and not a freakish modern one , because it is easily recognizable by the folk of once Catholic Bavaria .
In one or two of the photographs , the monstrance has been placed on a corporal , as it would be in Benediction on an altar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in resisting bishops ’ plan to ‘ Protestantize ’ Church !
Sign the petition here .
Here are people with so little instinct for the reverence due to the Blessed Sacrament , taking this monstrance around town to create a scene to photograph , because it represents , they tell us , “ God in the world.
” I suppose the paradox is explicable if they think the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance is merely a symbol of God , but they are also relying , for their photographs to have any interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least some mild surprise , of the viewer at the incongruity of the Blessed Sacrament in these places .
The point of a traditional Blessed Sacrament procession is the direct opposite of the purpose of this project .
Instead of placing the monstrance in a profane place as if it were an everyday item , a traditional procession is a triumphal progress in which our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament receives the veneration of participants and bystanders and takes possession of the area .
A traditional Blessed Sacrament procession shows us that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison , but His throne .
The Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance receives even greater honor , is treated with even greater reverence , in a traditional Corpus Christi procession than during the liturgy .
Traditionally , the priest , who has the privilege of handling the Blessed Sacrament with his hands , holds the monstrance with a special cloth ; he can be preceded by two thurifers , candles , and a special canopy and accompanied by a throng of people singing and praying .
How can the world be converted : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or by actions that prompt greater reverence toward what is holy ?
The answer is obvious .
It is a continuous battle to accord God the honor that is His due in the everyday world .
Today , those committed to this struggle have to contend not only with sin and indifference , but with misguided Catholics like Raz and van Kruijsbergen , who work to reduce the honor accorded to God by the world .
The pathetic image of a monstrance on a bench or road , apparently abandoned and forgotten , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some progressive Catholics seem determined to create , though not in the way Raz and van Kruijsbergen intended .
The rest of us will have to work twice as hard to make up for their contrary efforts : and it is they , not us , who are supported by the vast resources of the German Church .
If the institutional Church suffers financially from the epidemic , we can at least reflect on the limitations this will place on the harm , as well as the good , being done .

It shouldn’t need to be pointed out to German clergy that the Blessed Sacrament should not be carried around simply to provide photo opportunities.
June 15, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The Archdiocese of Munich has endorsed a bizarre and sacrilegious website that supposedly celebrates and elaborates the message of Corpus Christi. The creators, two “pastoral advisers,” Michael Raz and Johannes van Kruijsbergen, explain (translated from German by Google):
This festival is about showing people on the spot that God is in the middle of us, in the middle of the world, at all times. The idea arose to photograph the monstrance, i.e. this vessel for showing the body of Christ, in different places of everyday life. The oral project received broad approval from the other sixty or so pastors.
And so we have photographs of a monstrance in a playground, on a roadside bench, on a pedestrian crossing, in a car, next to a building site, on a water feature in a park, and so on, with supremely un-memorable little texts to accompany each one: how our lives are bit like a building site or whatever.
It shouldn’t need to be pointed out that the Blessed Sacrament should not be carried around simply to provide photo opportunities, and it certainly shouldn’t be dumped on park benches or in the middle of a road for no good reason (see Canon 935). Nor is there any indication that it was a priest, or even a duly instituted lay person, who was manhandling this monstrance about the place, and one of the photographs shows a little boy grasping it (see Canon 943). It is a sad reflection on the state of the Church in Bavaria that the sixty pastors apparently consulted on the idea didn’t appear to notice its liturgical impropriety.
What were they thinking? The reality of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament is not referred to in the little meditations. On the other hand, the whole object of the exercise is to show (as the title of the website says) “Gott — mitten in der Welt”: “God, in the middle of the world.” It appears that the Host displayed in the monstrance was not consecrated; in any case, the monstrance is itself a sacred vessel worthy of respect. Indeed, they have presumably chosen a rather lovely traditional monstrance, and not a freakish modern one, because it is easily recognizable by the folk of once Catholic Bavaria. In one or two of the photographs, the monstrance has been placed on a corporal, as it would be in Benediction on an altar.
PETITION: Join faithful German Catholics in resisting bishops’ plan to ‘Protestantize’ Church! Sign the petition here.
Here are people with so little instinct for the reverence due to the Blessed Sacrament, taking this monstrance around town to create a scene to photograph, because it represents, they tell us, “God in the world.” I suppose the paradox is explicable if they think the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance is merely a symbol of God, but they are also relying, for their photographs to have any interest, on the shock, or at least some mild surprise, of the viewer at the incongruity of the Blessed Sacrament in these places.
The point of a traditional Blessed Sacrament procession is the direct opposite of the purpose of this project. Instead of placing the monstrance in a profane place as if it were an everyday item, a traditional procession is a triumphal progress in which our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament receives the veneration of participants and bystanders and takes possession of the area. A traditional Blessed Sacrament procession shows us that the Tabernacle in a church is not His prison, but His throne.
The Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance receives even greater honor, is treated with even greater reverence, in a traditional Corpus Christi procession than during the liturgy. Traditionally, the priest, who has the privilege of handling the Blessed Sacrament with his hands, holds the monstrance with a special cloth; he can be preceded by two thurifers, candles, and a special canopy and accompanied by a throng of people singing and praying.
How can the world be converted: by actions that profane what is holy or by actions that prompt greater reverence toward what is holy? The answer is obvious. It is a continuous battle to accord God the honor that is His due in the everyday world. Today, those committed to this struggle have to contend not only with sin and indifference, but with misguided Catholics like Raz and van Kruijsbergen, who work to reduce the honor accorded to God by the world. The pathetic image of a monstrance on a bench or road, apparently abandoned and forgotten, is a vivid symbol of the Church some progressive Catholics seem determined to create, though not in the way Raz and van Kruijsbergen intended.
The rest of us will have to work twice as hard to make up for their contrary efforts: and it is they, not us, who are supported by the vast resources of the German Church. If the institutional Church suffers financially from the epidemic, we can at least reflect on the limitations this will place on the harm, as well as the good, being done.
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--2020-06-15--Remembering when ex-LGBTs urged Supreme Court not to indulge transgenderism

WASHINGTON , D.C. , June 15 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Last fall , a truly extraordinary event took place in the magnificent rotunda of the United States Capitol , which now stands in stark contrast to — if not judgment of — today ’ s U.S. Supreme Court ruling reinterpreting Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity .
In November , former gay , lesbian , and transgender men and women had come to the nation ’ s capitol to urge members of Congress to oppose the so-called “ Equality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prevention Act ” that would prevent others from seeking help to escape homosexual and transgender lives .
Some members of the group had previously submitted an amicus brief hoping to dissuade the court from ruling as they did today , essentially requiring employers to affirm gender confusion .
The people who had formerly identified as LGBT told the court that “ indulging the transgender concept will harm those whom it is intended to benefit.
” After today ’ s Supreme Court decision , their earnest entreaty to the justices , their wisdom drawn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are more important than ever .
“ We repent on behalf of our country for the sins of arrogance , for the sins of sexual deviancy , for the sins that have led us to the place where we are today , ” one man earnestly prayed as he stood beneath the Capitol dome .
“ We repent for the sin of homosexuality .
We repent for our part in it , ” prayed another former homosexual .
“ We ask that you would forgive our nation for this .
We ask you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you would hear our prayers and have mercy on us.
” Others joined in offering their heartfelt repentance and intercession .
DROP Disney+ : New teen film 'Out ' features openly homosexual main character !
Sign the petition here .
“ Push back the darkness , ” prayed a woman who once lived as a lesbian .
“ You created us male and female .
You created us in Your Image .
You have created man to find a wife and that is a good thing , ” prayed another young woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be revealed to those who have bought into the lies and deception .
We pray that you remove the curtain of deception.
” “ I repent for the lies that we have believed as far as who we are , ” prayed a woman who had lived as a “ man ” for many years but is now restored to her true identity .
“ Lord , we bought into the lie that you didn ’ t create us good enough .
That we should have been something else.
” “ I ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the eyes of those who live in the deception of who they are , and let them see how they are created in your image , and that you do not make mistakes , ” she continued .
“ I ask you to call them out of that lifestyle , call them out of that deception.
” They pleaded for those who are bound by deception , held captive by the enemy , to be set free .
“ Lord , we understand that those who hold other positions are not our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enemy.
” And they prayed for a great awakening across our land .
Their prayer turned to beautiful worship , with their voices echoing throughout the Capitol building : I ’ ll raise a Hallelujah , as Heaven comes to fight for me .
I ’ ll raise a Hallelujah , because fear has lost its hold on me .
And I ’ m going to sing in the middle of the storm , Louder and louder , they ’ re gon na hear my praises roar .
Up from the ashes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the King is alive .
Death is defeated , the King is alive .
You have no rival , you have no equal Now and forever , Our God reigns .
Yours is the Kingdom , Your ’ s is the glory , Yours is the Name above all names .
What a powerful name it is , What a powerful name it is : The Name of Jesus Christ my King .
And they declared on behalf of the nation : What can wash away my sins ?
Nothing but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me whole again ?
Nothing but the Blood of Jesus .
And how precious is that Blood , That makes me white as snow ?
No other fount we know Nothing but the Blood of Jesus .
Death is defeated , the King is alive .
The hour-long spontaneous prayer erupted at the end of a tour of the historic building led by U.S. House members Doug LaMalfa ( R-Calif. ) and Louie Gohmert ( R-Texas ) , pro-life champions and defenders of religious liberty .

Last fall, a truly extraordinary event took place in the magnificent rotunda of the United States Capitol. As the Supreme Court rules today in favor of oppressing people of faith, that event is worth remembering.
PETITION: Tell Trump Christians can’t accept SCOTUS ruling imposing LGBT ideology Sign the petition here.
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 15, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Last fall, a truly extraordinary event took place in the magnificent rotunda of the United States Capitol, which now stands in stark contrast to — if not judgment of — today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling reinterpreting Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
In November, former gay, lesbian, and transgender men and women had come to the nation’s capitol to urge members of Congress to oppose the so-called “Equality Act” and the “Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act” that would prevent others from seeking help to escape homosexual and transgender lives.
Some members of the group had previously submitted an amicus brief hoping to dissuade the court from ruling as they did today, essentially requiring employers to affirm gender confusion. The people who had formerly identified as LGBT told the court that “indulging the transgender concept will harm those whom it is intended to benefit.”
After today’s Supreme Court decision, their earnest entreaty to the justices, their wisdom drawn from experience, and their earnest prayers are more important than ever.
“We repent on behalf of our country for the sins of arrogance, for the sins of sexual deviancy, for the sins that have led us to the place where we are today,” one man earnestly prayed as he stood beneath the Capitol dome.
“We repent for the sin of homosexuality. We repent for our part in it,” prayed another former homosexual. “We ask that you would forgive our nation for this. We ask you to hold back any judgment, and that you would hear our prayers and have mercy on us.”
Others joined in offering their heartfelt repentance and intercession.
DROP Disney+: New teen film 'Out' features openly homosexual main character! Sign the petition here.
“Push back the darkness,” prayed a woman who once lived as a lesbian.
“You created us male and female. You created us in Your Image. You have created man to find a wife and that is a good thing,” prayed another young woman. “We pray that the truth be revealed to those who have bought into the lies and deception. We pray that you remove the curtain of deception.”
“I repent for the lies that we have believed as far as who we are,” prayed a woman who had lived as a “man” for many years but is now restored to her true identity. “Lord, we bought into the lie that you didn’t create us good enough. That we should have been something else.”
“I ask you to continue to drop the scales from the eyes of those who live in the deception of who they are, and let them see how they are created in your image, and that you do not make mistakes,” she continued. “I ask you to call them out of that lifestyle, call them out of that deception.”
They pleaded for those who are bound by deception, held captive by the enemy, to be set free. “Lord, we understand that those who hold other positions are not our enemy. We all have but one enemy.”
And they prayed for a great awakening across our land.
Their prayer turned to beautiful worship, with their voices echoing throughout the Capitol building:
I’ll raise a Hallelujah, as Heaven comes to fight for me.
I’ll raise a Hallelujah, because fear has lost its hold on me.
And I’m going to sing in the middle of the storm,
Louder and louder, they’re gonna hear my praises roar.
Up from the ashes, hope will arise,
Death is defeated, the King is alive.
Death is defeated, the King is alive.
They sang to Jesus:
You have no rival, you have no equal
Now and forever, Our God reigns.
Yours is the Kingdom, Your’s is the glory,
Yours is the Name above all names.
What a powerful name it is,
What a powerful name it is:
The Name of Jesus Christ my King.
And they declared on behalf of the nation:
What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.
And how precious is that Blood,
That makes me white as snow?
No other fount we know
Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.
Death is defeated, the King is alive.
The hour-long spontaneous prayer erupted at the end of a tour of the historic building led by U.S. House members Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) and Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), pro-life champions and defenders of religious liberty.
Follow Doug Doug Mainwaring is a journalist for LifeSiteNews, an author, and a marriage, family and children's rights activist. He has testified before the United States Congress and state legislative bodies, originated and co-authored amicus briefs for the United States Supreme Court, and has been a guest on numerous TV and radio programs. Doug and his family live in the Washington, DC suburbs.
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lifesitenews--2020-06-15--Biden’s running-mate short list features Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris

June 15 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Former Vice President and Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden is narrowing the list of candidates to serve as his running mate against Donald Trump and Mike Pence , settling on a selection of left-wing women and black leaders .
The list is believed to have been narrowed to six contenders , the Associated Press reported : Biden ’ s former Democrat primary opponents Sens .
Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California , Obama administration National Security Adviser Susan Rice , Rep. Val Demmings of Florida , Atlanta Mayor Keisha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Michelle Lujan Grisham .
All six Democrats are women ; four are black .
One is white ( Warren ) , and one is Latina ( Grisham ) .
The sex of the finalists is presumably intended in part to mitigate the damage of allegations that Biden sexually assaulted former staffer Tara Reade in the early 1990s .
The AP noted that Biden is under pressure to pick a black running mate as a show of support to the Black Lives Matter movement .
Biden has publicly declared that his running mate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his focus is on finding someone who would be “ ready to be president ” if necessary .
Former Virginia Governor and Democrat National Committee chair Terry McAuliffe told the AP that Biden ’ s decision would most likely be “ all about personal chemistry , ” and that it would be “ exciting for the party ” to have a black woman on the Democrat ticket .
Whoever Biden selects , she is unlikely to meaningfully differ from the hard-left platform on which the former vice president is running .
Every candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Harris and Warren , aggressively competed to be perceived as the staunchest defender of abortion-on-demand and the LGBT agenda , with little regard for the toll on religious liberty .
Biden himself , meanwhile , has declared abortion to be “ essential health care ” even during the COVID-19 emergency measures that suspended many forms of actual health care , vowed to reverse the Trump administration ’ s ban on gender-confused soldiers in the U.S. military , and called the COVID-19 crisis an opportunity to “ fundamentally change the science relating to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s running mate could , however , take on greater significance should Biden become president .
Biden has been famously gaffe-prone for years , but the increasing frequency of his confused and incoherent statements this election season has provoked abundant speculation from friends and foes alike as to the 77-year-old contender ’ s mental fitness for the presidency , leading Biden to pledge to only serve one term “ if anything changed in my health , making it incapable for me to fully exert all the energy and mental acuity that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly framed the opponent he dubs “ Sleepy Joe ” as generally unaware and incapable , and suggested that if Biden wins he will not be the one taking the lead in his administration .
At the very least , Biden ’ s own single-term pledge indicates that his eventual running mate could become the de facto Democrat standard bearer sooner rather than later .

The Democrat presidential candidate is reportedly considering six candidates, and four are black.
June 15, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Former Vice President and Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden is narrowing the list of candidates to serve as his running mate against Donald Trump and Mike Pence, settling on a selection of left-wing women and black leaders.
The list is believed to have been narrowed to six contenders, the Associated Press reported: Biden’s former Democrat primary opponents Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California, Obama administration National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Rep. Val Demmings of Florida, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
All six Democrats are women; four are black. One is white (Warren), and one is Latina (Grisham). The sex of the finalists is presumably intended in part to mitigate the damage of allegations that Biden sexually assaulted former staffer Tara Reade in the early 1990s. The AP noted that Biden is under pressure to pick a black running mate as a show of support to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Biden has publicly declared that his running mate would be a woman, and claims his focus is on finding someone who would be “ready to be president” if necessary. Former Virginia Governor and Democrat National Committee chair Terry McAuliffe told the AP that Biden’s decision would most likely be “all about personal chemistry,” and that it would be “exciting for the party” to have a black woman on the Democrat ticket.
Whoever Biden selects, she is unlikely to meaningfully differ from the hard-left platform on which the former vice president is running. Every candidate in the 2020 Democrat primary field, including Harris and Warren, aggressively competed to be perceived as the staunchest defender of abortion-on-demand and the LGBT agenda, with little regard for the toll on religious liberty.
Biden himself, meanwhile, has declared abortion to be “essential health care” even during the COVID-19 emergency measures that suspended many forms of actual health care, vowed to reverse the Trump administration’s ban on gender-confused soldiers in the U.S. military, and called the COVID-19 crisis an opportunity to “fundamentally change the science relating to global warming.”
The question of Biden’s running mate could, however, take on greater significance should Biden become president.
Biden has been famously gaffe-prone for years, but the increasing frequency of his confused and incoherent statements this election season has provoked abundant speculation from friends and foes alike as to the 77-year-old contender’s mental fitness for the presidency, leading Biden to pledge to only serve one term “if anything changed in my health, making it incapable for me to fully exert all the energy and mental acuity that was needed to be done.”
Trump has repeatedly framed the opponent he dubs “Sleepy Joe” as generally unaware and incapable, and suggested that if Biden wins he will not be the one taking the lead in his administration. At the very least, Biden’s own single-term pledge indicates that his eventual running mate could become the de facto Democrat standard bearer sooner rather than later.
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lifesitenews--2020-06-15--BREAKING: Trump accepts sweeping pro-transgender SCOTUS decision, calls it ‘very powerful’

WASHINGTON , D.C. , June 15 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – President Donald Trump suggested Monday that the administration would not be moving to challenge or mitigate the Supreme Court ’ s 6-3 ruling writing “ sexual orientation ” and “ gender identity ” into a longstanding law meant to prohibit discrimination on the basis of biological sex .
Justice Neil Gorsuch , Trump ’ s first addition to the nation ’ s highest court , wrote the majority opinion for the ruling , which concluded that “ sex disicrimination ” in Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orientation and gender identity , in addition to its original biological meaning .
`` An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex , ” Gorsuch wrote .
“ Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision , exactly what Title VII forbids . ''
`` I ’ ve read the decision , and some people were surprised , '' the president told reporters at the White House this afternoon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve ruled and we live with their decision .
That ’ s what it ’ s all about .
We live with the decision of the Supreme Court .
Very powerful .
Very powerful decision actually .
But they have so ruled . ''
Trump ’ s reaction did not discuss any of the details of the ruling , and did not address the fact that his own administration weighed in against the position Gorsuch ultimately chose , by filing an amicus brief that argued that Title VII “ simply does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s gender identity or a disconnect between an individual ’ s gender identity and the individual ’ s sex.
” The majority ’ s reasoning flies in the face of both the plain statutory meaning of “ sex ” in 1964 and the clear legislative intent of the lawmakers who drafted and passed the Civil Rights Act , as explained by Alliance Defending Freedom ( ADF ) senior counsel John Bursch .
“ There is little dispute that , in 1964 , the term ‘ sex ’ was publicly understood , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sex : male and female , ” he wrote .
“ After all , the term ‘ gender identity ’ wasn ’ t even part of the American lexicon at the time .
Its first use was at a European medical conference in 1963 .
And no semblance of it appeared in federal law until 1990.
” But Gorsuch ’ s opinion panned the notion of authorial intent , a bedrock principle of judicial originalism , by declaring that judges “ are not free to overlook plain statutory commands on the strength of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guesswork about expectations .
In Title VII , Congress adopted broad language making it illegal for an employer to rely on an employee ’ s sex when deciding to fire that employee.
” Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented , panning the majority opinion as “ legislation ” written under the “ deceptive ” guise of “ interpreting a statute , ” reminding the majority that the court ’ s duty “ is limited to saying what the law is ” rather than adding to it .
Trump ’ s other Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote his own dissenting opinion , in which he noted that the “ responsibility to amend Title VII belongs to Congress and the President in the legislative process , not to this Court.
” He also wrote , however , that the majority opinion represented an “ important victory achieved today by gay and lesbian Americans , ” who “ advanced powerful policy arguments , ” displayed “ extraordinary vision , tenacity , and grit , ” and “ can take pride in today ’ s result ” ... “ notwithstanding my concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Constitution ’ s separation of powers.
” A few conservative voices raised doubts about the reliability of both Gorsuch and Kavanaugh during their respective confirmation hearings , though their warnings fell largely on deaf ears among conservative pundits and pro-life , pro-family organizations .
Conservatives warn that today ’ s ruling will not merely protect homosexual or gender-confused Americans from tangible harm .
Rather , it will require churches to recognize same-sex “ marriages ” ; force photographers , florists , and bakers to participate in same-sex “ weddings ” ; compel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help people imitate members of the opposite sex ; and make women and girls to share sleeping quarters , showers , changing areas , and restrooms with gender-confused males ( or men simply claiming trans status to get close to vulnerable women ) .
Counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway addressed the ruling a bit more directly on Fox News , praising Alito ’ s dissenting opinion and declaring that “ it ’ s very important though to stick to a statute or a law as it is written when that is before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people want to change the law , they should go to the Congress .
”

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 15, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – President Donald Trump suggested Monday that the administration would not be moving to challenge or mitigate the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling writing “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” into a longstanding law meant to prohibit discrimination on the basis of biological sex.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, Trump’s first addition to the nation’s highest court, wrote the majority opinion for the ruling, which concluded that “sex disicrimination” in Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act should be interpreted to mean sexual orientation and gender identity, in addition to its original biological meaning.
“An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex,” Gorsuch wrote. “Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids.”
“I’ve read the decision, and some people were surprised,” the president told reporters at the White House this afternoon, The Hill reported. “But they’ve ruled and we live with their decision. That’s what it’s all about. We live with the decision of the Supreme Court. Very powerful. Very powerful decision actually. But they have so ruled.”
Trump’s reaction did not discuss any of the details of the ruling, and did not address the fact that his own administration weighed in against the position Gorsuch ultimately chose, by filing an amicus brief that argued that Title VII “simply does not speak to discrimination because of an individual’s gender identity or a disconnect between an individual’s gender identity and the individual’s sex.”
The majority’s reasoning flies in the face of both the plain statutory meaning of “sex” in 1964 and the clear legislative intent of the lawmakers who drafted and passed the Civil Rights Act, as explained by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) senior counsel John Bursch. “There is little dispute that, in 1964, the term ‘sex’ was publicly understood, as it is now, to mean biological sex: male and female,” he wrote. “After all, the term ‘gender identity’ wasn’t even part of the American lexicon at the time. Its first use was at a European medical conference in 1963. And no semblance of it appeared in federal law until 1990.”
But Gorsuch’s opinion panned the notion of authorial intent, a bedrock principle of judicial originalism, by declaring that judges “are not free to overlook plain statutory commands on the strength of nothing more than suppositions about intentions or guesswork about expectations. In Title VII, Congress adopted broad language making it illegal for an employer to rely on an employee’s sex when deciding to fire that employee.”
Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented, panning the majority opinion as “legislation” written under the “deceptive” guise of “interpreting a statute,” reminding the majority that the court’s duty “is limited to saying what the law is” rather than adding to it.
Trump’s other Supreme Court appointee, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, wrote his own dissenting opinion, in which he noted that the “responsibility to amend Title VII belongs to Congress and the President in the legislative process, not to this Court.”
He also wrote, however, that the majority opinion represented an “important victory achieved today by gay and lesbian Americans,” who “advanced powerful policy arguments,” displayed “extraordinary vision, tenacity, and grit,” and “can take pride in today’s result”… “notwithstanding my concern about the Court’s transgression of the Constitution’s separation of powers.”
A few conservative voices raised doubts about the reliability of both Gorsuch and Kavanaugh during their respective confirmation hearings, though their warnings fell largely on deaf ears among conservative pundits and pro-life, pro-family organizations.
Conservatives warn that today’s ruling will not merely protect homosexual or gender-confused Americans from tangible harm. Rather, it will require churches to recognize same-sex “marriages”; force photographers, florists, and bakers to participate in same-sex “weddings”; compel employers to fund drugs and surgeries to help people imitate members of the opposite sex; and make women and girls to share sleeping quarters, showers, changing areas, and restrooms with gender-confused males (or men simply claiming trans status to get close to vulnerable women).
Counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway addressed the ruling a bit more directly on Fox News, praising Alito’s dissenting opinion and declaring that “it’s very important though to stick to a statute or a law as it is written when that is before the United States Supreme Court. If people want to change the law, they should go to the Congress.”
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lifesitenews--2020-06-15--Media hype Black Lives Matter rallies, decry health risks of new Trump rallies

June 15 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – After weeks of lionizing massively crowded Black Lives Matter ( BLM ) protests across the United States with little regard for “ social distancing ” or other draconian coronavirus lockdown measures , the mainstream media are criticizing President Donald Trump ’ s reelection campaign for its decision to resume the Republican incumbent ’ s trademark in-person rallies .
Trump ’ s first rally since the COVID-19 outbreak is slated for this weekend in Tulsa , Oklahoma , Newsweek reports .
The campaign says that , as a precaution , all attendees will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to enter , and will be given free masks and hand sanitizer .
Many stories from outlets such as Politico , The Guardian , CNBC , and others have framed their stories around tension between the rallies and the public health risks of large public crowds .
The Associated Press ran the headline “ Trump rally called ‘ dangerous move ’ in age of coronavirus , ” which was picked up by ABC News , US News & World Report , and others .
The New York Times ran with the headline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Perfect Storm ’ for Viral Spread , Experts Say.
” For the most part , the media have not allowed COVID-19 fears to get in the way of their sympathetic coverage of the BLM protests , for which “ public health experts ” have also carved out an exception : Trump called out the apparent double standard on Monday , declaring that won ’ t deter him or his supporters from pressing on : As of June 15 , the United States is estimated to have seen more than 2.1 million COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 875,000 recoveries .
More than 40 percent of those deaths have come from nursing homes .
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews ’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world .

June 15, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – After weeks of lionizing massively crowded Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests across the United States with little regard for “social distancing” or other draconian coronavirus lockdown measures, the mainstream media are criticizing President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign for its decision to resume the Republican incumbent’s trademark in-person rallies.
Trump’s first rally since the COVID-19 outbreak is slated for this weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Newsweek reports. The campaign says that, as a precaution, all attendees will be given a temperature check before being allowed to enter, and will be given free masks and hand sanitizer.
Many stories from outlets such as Politico, The Guardian, CNBC, and others have framed their stories around tension between the rallies and the public health risks of large public crowds. The Associated Press ran the headline “Trump rally called ‘dangerous move’ in age of coronavirus,” which was picked up by ABC News, US News & World Report, and others. The New York Times ran with the headline, “Events Like Trump Rally Are ‘Perfect Storm’ for Viral Spread, Experts Say.”
For the most part, the media have not allowed COVID-19 fears to get in the way of their sympathetic coverage of the BLM protests, for which “public health experts” have also carved out an exception:
Little over an hour apart. pic.twitter.com/K2a7fGRNDd — Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) June 15, 2020
Thousands, Clad in White, Rally in Support of Black Trans Lives Outside Brooklyn Museum https://t.co/r2VPpqjZ3M pic.twitter.com/UfI8Llch5h — NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) June 14, 2020
Protests continued in New York City for the 11th day on Sunday, with demonstrations in Central Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Lower Manhattan and near Gracie Mansion. Follow the latest from New York here. https://t.co/IY6IIqxvEj — The New York Times (@nytimes) June 8, 2020
Protests initially ignited by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police continue, as protesters in the U.S. seek to call attention to the deaths of two more black men and Black Lives Matter demonstrations unfold in London and Paris. https://t.co/mq48we5Z8R — The Associated Press (@AP) June 14, 2020
Trump called out the apparent double standard on Monday, declaring that won’t deter him or his supporters from pressing on:
The Far Left Fake News Media, which had no Covid problem with the Rioters & Looters destroying Democrat run cities, is trying to Covid Shame us on our big Rallies. Won’t work! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2020
As of June 15, the United States is estimated to have seen more than 2.1 million COVID-19 cases, with more than 118,000 deaths and 875,000 recoveries. More than 40 percent of those deaths have come from nursing homes.
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world.
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lifesitenews--2020-06-15--US Jesuit publication attacks Viganò in ‘fake news’ piece after Trump tweets Archbishop’s ‘incredibl

US Jesuit publication attacks Viganò in ‘fake news’ piece after Trump tweets Archbishop’s ‘incredible’ letter

NEW YORK , NY , June 15 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― A top US Jesuit publication has attacked Vatican whistleblower Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò after President Trump tweeted out last week a letter that the Archbishop had written , telling Americans in the tweet that it was “ incredible ” and that they should read it .
America magazine has written two articles denouncing the Archbishop since Trump tweeted his support for the retired Vatican diplomat ’ s letter on June 10 .
A June 11 article by Michael J. O ’ Loughlin , titled “ President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is he ?
” , made four serious accusations against the latter .
O ’ Loughlin , America ’ s national correspondent , alleged that Italian courts had determined that Viganò “ had been stealing millions of dollars from his brother ” and a judge had ruled that “ he must pay back the money.
” O ’ Loughlin also wrote that the archbishop , then the papal nuncio to the USA , had “ orchestrated a meeting between Pope Francis and Kim Davis , the former Kentucky clerk who was briefly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for same-sex couples.
” He repeated the story told by Chilean clerical sexual abuse survivor Juan Carlos-Cruz that Pope Francis had told him that he had “ fired ” Viganò “ because of his role in arranging the meeting.
” Most seriously , O ’ Loughlin repeated an allegation by Father Dan Griffith that Archbishop Viganò “ used his office to quash an inquiry ” into purported sexual misconduct on the part of Archbishop John Nienstedt .
Vatican journalist and translator Diane Montagna , an authority on Archbishop Viganò and his writings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next day , calling the allegations false and the article “ a hit piece.
” Montagna presented her tweets in the “ interests of fair and truthful journalism.
” She linked to her work on LifeSiteNews as evidence in the Vatican whistleblower ’ s favor .
“ 1 .
@ Americamag says Italian courts determined that +Viganò had been stealing millions of dollars ’ from his ‘ ill brother ’ and ‘ a judge ruled last year that he must repay the money.
’ TOTALLY FALSE , ” Montagna wrote , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LifeSiteNews report on the dispute .
In short , Archbishop Viganò and his brother , Fr .
Lorenzo Viganò , were co-heirs of rich farmland left to them by their wealthy industrialist father .
For years they amicably managed the assets in each other ’ s name , even after Fr .
Lorenzo was left semi-paralysed by a stroke in 1996 .
They jointly contributed millions of euros to fund charitable organizations .
Twelve years after his stroke , however , Fr .
Lorenzo repudiated all ties with his brother , cancelled their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not agreed to fund the construction of a Carmelite monastery in Burundi .
This is among the reasons why Archbishop Viganò had to give his brother 1.8 million euros .
Lies 2 and 3 : Viganò surprised Pope Francis with Kim Davis and was fired .
Diane Montagna , who reported on the story for LifeSiteNews , also took issue with O ’ Loughlin ’ s depiction of the Kim Davis story .
Davis is the former county clerk for Rowan County , Kentucky who went to prison in early September 2015 after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couples .
On September 24 , she met Pope Francis .
“ 2 .
@ Americamag alleges +Viganò ‘ orchestrated ’ Pope Francis ’ visit with Kim Davis in 2015 , points to @ nytimes report that @ pontifex allegedly ‘ fired ’ +Viganò ‘ because of his role in arranging the meeting , ’ ” she wrote .
“ FAKE NEWS , left out full account of what happened.
” Montagna linked to her August 21 , 2018 LifeSiteNews report debunking the claims that Archbishop Viganò had surprised Pope Francis with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been fired as a result .
According to Archbishop Viganò , he discussed the papal meeting with the prisoner of conscience with Pope Francis before it took place .
Viganò recalled that Pope Francis seemed to be interested but was worried about the political implications .
The pontiff asked the then-nuncio to take advice , and Viganò duly shared the memo he had given to him about Davis with Archbishop Angelo Becciu , the deputy of the Secretary of State , and Archbishop Paul Gallagher , Secretary for Relations with States , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretariat of State .
Both Becciu and Gallagher agreed the meeting should go ahead .
Following an uproar in the mainstream media when it discovered the pontiff had met Davis , the Vatican Press Office published a denial that the meeting had been private .
The official story was that the pontiff may have met her at a meet-and-greet .
One of the Vatican spokesmen cited by the New York Times as saying the Pope had “ probably not been informed ” of Davis ’ presence was serial plagiarist Fr .
Thomas Rosica @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parolin told Viganò that the pontiff was “ furious ” with him because of the meeting , Viganò reported that Pope Francis had not uttered a word of reproof at their meeting .
Archbishop Viganò offered his resignation in 2016 when he turned 75 , as is the custom , and Pope Francis accepted it three months later .
Regarding Mr Cruz ’ s story that the pontiff told him that Viganò had been “ fired ” for his role in the Kim Davis affair , the archbishop said that either Cruz or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 : Viganò tried to “ quash ” an investigation into an archbishop Finally , Montagna condemned the allegation that Viganò tried to stop an investigation into a prelate known for defending traditional marriage .
“ @ Americamag says + Viganò was “ accused of trying to quash a sex-abuse investigation into a prominent U.S. archbishop who shared a goal of fighting same-sex marriage , ” she tweeted .
Montagna then linked to her August 27 , 2018 LifeSiteNews story reporting the retired diplomat ’ s self-defence .
According to Archbishop Viganò , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from private detectives hired by the pro-same-sex-marriage law firm Green Espel about Archbishop Nienstadt , alleging that he had once had an affair with a Swiss Guard in Rome .
Upon divining that the firm wished to take their investigation to the Swiss Guards , the then-papal nuncio suggested that Nienstedt be allowed to respond to the allegations first .
Viganò says that the auxiliary bishops who agreed to this course of action later sent him a letter “ falsely asserting that I had suggested the investigation be stopped.
” He shared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two auxiliary bishops to Cardinal Marc Ouellet stating that Viganò had asked them to correct their previous report of the meeting to clarify that he did not “ absolutely rule out any further investigation , but rather was concerned that we first begin to obtain information from Archbishop Nienstedt… ” The former nuncio also supplied his own letter to the Cardinal about the meeting .
Regarding the memo of Fr .
Dan Griffith about the case , the former nuncio stated that he had written to Archbishop Pierre , his successor as nuncio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the successor of Archbishop Nienstedt as ordinary of St. Paul-Minneapolis , asking them to publicly correct it .
“ In spite of repeated emails and phone calls , I never heard back from then , ” Viganò said .
A follow-up email , dated January 21 , 2018 , detailing Viganò ’ s repeated attempts to contact Hebda , may be viewed here .
In his June 11 article for America magazine , O ’ Loughlin mentioned that Archbishop Viganò had blamed the ongoing clerical sexual abuse crisis on “ homosexual clergy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or adults.
” O ’ Loughlin called the retired nuncio ’ s statements in his third letter describing homosexuality as central to the clerical sexual abuse crisis “ unfounded.
” ...
This very grave crisis can not be properly addressed and resolved unless and until we call things by their true names .
This is a crisis due to the scourge of homosexuality , in its agents , in its motives , in its resistance to reform .
It is no exaggeration to say that homosexuality has become a plague in the clergy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with spiritual weapons .
It is an enormous hypocrisy to condemn the abuse , claim to weep for the victims , and yet refuse to denounce the root cause of so much sexual abuse : homosexuality .
It is hypocrisy to refuse to acknowledge that this scourge is due to a serious crisis in the spiritual life of the clergy and to fail to take the steps necessary to remedy it .
O ’ Loughlin may have personal reasons for disliking the Archbishop ’ s opinions on homosexuality .
In a 2013 article @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself as a “ gay ” Catholic who “ works in the church ” .
He also accused “ many Catholic leaders ” of “ veiled bigotry ” against same-sex attracted people .
“ Sure , the cardinals and bishops who seem obsessed with issues of homosexuality usually begin their statements recalling the Catechism of the Catholic Church that reminds us all people are to be treated with dignity .
But in the next breath , their words turn to sin , disorder , unnaturalness , and general judgment and condemnation , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ XVI , combined with rapid advancements for LGBT people in the West , the church ’ s attitude and language toward gay people reached a nadir.
” But O ’ Loughlin , who openly dissents on Catholic teaching regarding sexuality and marriage , pinned his hopes to Pope Francis , whom he reported supported same-sex civil partnerships in Argentine , after the pontiff responded to a question about clerical homosexual misconduct with the reply “ Who am I to judge ?
” “ ... [ W ] hen the pope , leader of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rely more on mercy than judgment , it gives people like me hope , ” O ’ Loughlin wrote .
Joseph Sciambra , a former gay porn actor who now ministers to same-sex attracted men who wish to live chastely , observed in 2018 that McLoughlin “ reports primarily on issues concerning homosexuality and the LGBT community ; he has written extensively for America , The Huffington Post , and the gay periodical The Advocate .
Sciambra cited several of O ’ Loughlins writings attacking Catholic doctrine regarding sexuality and supporting same-sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bishops could change the public ’ s perception of them as being “ anti-gay.
” …drop the opposition to marriage equality , ” O ’ Loughlin wrote in 2013 .
“ It ’ s here to stay , and young Catholics support it at overwhelming numbers .
To be against marriage equality is equated with bigotry and being out of the mainstream .
To lose a generation of Catholics on this issue is shortsighted and will hinder social justice efforts to alleviate poverty , prevent war and strengthen the common good .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ take many years to overcome.
” On June 12 , James T. Keane , a senior editor for America magazine , called Archbishop Viganò a “ marginal figure ” and advised readers to “ pay this man no attention.
” Since US President Donald Trump tweeted a link to Archbishop Viganò ’ s open letter to him , it has been viewed on LifeSiteNews over 3,700,000 times .
LifeSiteNews reached out to Michael J. O ’ Loughlin for comment but has not yet received a response .

America magazine's allegations against Viganò were regurgitated material that was already shown to be false
PETITION: Ask Archbishop Gregory to apologize to President Trump and the Knights of Columbus! Sign the petition here.
NEW YORK, NY, June 15, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― A top US Jesuit publication has attacked Vatican whistleblower Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò after President Trump tweeted out last week a letter that the Archbishop had written, telling Americans in the tweet that it was “incredible” and that they should read it.
America magazine has written two articles denouncing the Archbishop since Trump tweeted his support for the retired Vatican diplomat’s letter on June 10. A June 11 article by Michael J. O’Loughlin, titled “President Trump tweeted about Archbishop Viganò. So, who is he?”, made four serious accusations against the latter.
O’Loughlin, America’s national correspondent, alleged that Italian courts had determined that Viganò “had been stealing millions of dollars from his brother” and a judge had ruled that “he must pay back the money.”
O’Loughlin also wrote that the archbishop, then the papal nuncio to the USA, had “orchestrated a meeting between Pope Francis and Kim Davis, the former Kentucky clerk who was briefly jailed for refusing to sign marriage licenses for same-sex couples.” He repeated the story told by Chilean clerical sexual abuse survivor Juan Carlos-Cruz that Pope Francis had told him that he had “fired” Viganò “because of his role in arranging the meeting.”
Most seriously, O’Loughlin repeated an allegation by Father Dan Griffith that Archbishop Viganò “used his office to quash an inquiry” into purported sexual misconduct on the part of Archbishop John Nienstedt.
Vatican journalist and translator Diane Montagna, an authority on Archbishop Viganò and his writings, vigorously defended the retired diplomat on Twitter the next day, calling the allegations false and the article “a hit piece.” Montagna presented her tweets in the “interests of fair and truthful journalism.” She linked to her work on LifeSiteNews as evidence in the Vatican whistleblower’s favor.
Lie 1: Vigano stole from his brother.
“1. @Americamag says Italian courts determined that +Viganò had been stealing millions of dollars’ from his ‘ill brother’ and ‘a judge ruled last year that he must repay the money.’ TOTALLY FALSE,” Montagna wrote, and linked to her December 3, 2018 LifeSiteNews report on the dispute.
In short, Archbishop Viganò and his brother, Fr. Lorenzo Viganò, were co-heirs of rich farmland left to them by their wealthy industrialist father. For years they amicably managed the assets in each other’s name, even after Fr. Lorenzo was left semi-paralysed by a stroke in 1996. They jointly contributed millions of euros to fund charitable organizations. Twelve years after his stroke, however, Fr. Lorenzo repudiated all ties with his brother, cancelled their joint power-of-attorney, and said he had not agreed to fund the construction of a Carmelite monastery in Burundi. This is among the reasons why Archbishop Viganò had to give his brother 1.8 million euros.
A December 8, 2018 statement from the retired Vatican diplomat’s lawyers stated:
For over 10 years, Fr. Lorenzo Viganò has subjected Archbishop Viganò to a judicial siege and a veritable defamation campaign in the press, while failing to inform obliging journalists that the accusations of Fr. Lorenzo Viganò have been abandoned or dismissed in the 10 civil, criminal, and administrative cases attempted to date.
Lies 2 and 3: Viganò surprised Pope Francis with Kim Davis and was fired.
Diane Montagna, who reported on the story for LifeSiteNews, also took issue with O’Loughlin’s depiction of the Kim Davis story. Davis is the former county clerk for Rowan County, Kentucky who went to prison in early September 2015 after refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. On September 24, she met Pope Francis.
“2. @Americamag alleges +Viganò ‘orchestrated’ Pope Francis’ visit with Kim Davis in 2015, points to @nytimes report that @pontifex allegedly ‘fired’ +Viganò ‘because of his role in arranging the meeting,’” she wrote.
“FAKE NEWS, left out full account of what happened.”
Montagna linked to her August 21, 2018 LifeSiteNews report debunking the claims that Archbishop Viganò had surprised Pope Francis with the meeting with Davis and that he had been fired as a result.
According to Archbishop Viganò, he discussed the papal meeting with the prisoner of conscience with Pope Francis before it took place. Viganò recalled that Pope Francis seemed to be interested but was worried about the political implications. The pontiff asked the then-nuncio to take advice, and Viganò duly shared the memo he had given to him about Davis with Archbishop Angelo Becciu, the deputy of the Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States, and Head of the Political Section of the Secretariat of State. Both Becciu and Gallagher agreed the meeting should go ahead.
The retired nuncio recalled the meeting:
Early in the afternoon of September 24, before leaving for New York City, the Pope entered as planned into the sitting room where Davis and her husband were waiting for him. He embraced her affectionately, thanked her for her courage, and invited her to persevere. Davis was very moved and started crying. She was then taken back to her hotel in a car driven by a pontifical gendarme, accompanied by an American Monsignor and staff member of the nunciature.
Following an uproar in the mainstream media when it discovered the pontiff had met Davis, the Vatican Press Office published a denial that the meeting had been private. The official story was that the pontiff may have met her at a meet-and-greet. One of the Vatican spokesmen cited by the New York Times as saying the Pope had “probably not been informed” of Davis’ presence was serial plagiarist Fr. Thomas Rosica.
Although the Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin told Viganò that the pontiff was “furious” with him because of the meeting, Viganò reported that Pope Francis had not uttered a word of reproof at their meeting.
Archbishop Viganò offered his resignation in 2016 when he turned 75, as is the custom, and Pope Francis accepted it three months later. Regarding Mr Cruz’s story that the pontiff told him that Viganò had been “fired” for his role in the Kim Davis affair, the archbishop said that either Cruz or Pope Francis had been lying.
Lie 4: Viganò tried to “quash” an investigation into an archbishop
Finally, Montagna condemned the allegation that Viganò tried to stop an investigation into a prelate known for defending traditional marriage.
“@Americamag says + Viganò was “accused of trying to quash a sex-abuse investigation into a prominent U.S. archbishop who shared a goal of fighting same-sex marriage,” she tweeted.
“TOTALLY FALSE ACCUSATION – omitted +Viganò’s refutation using supporting documents.”
Montagna then linked to her August 27, 2018 LifeSiteNews story reporting the retired diplomat’s self-defence.
According to Archbishop Viganò, in 2014 he was presented with affidavits from private detectives hired by the pro-same-sex-marriage law firm Green Espel about Archbishop Nienstadt, alleging that he had once had an affair with a Swiss Guard in Rome. Upon divining that the firm wished to take their investigation to the Swiss Guards, the then-papal nuncio suggested that Nienstedt be allowed to respond to the allegations first.
Viganò says that the auxiliary bishops who agreed to this course of action later sent him a letter “falsely asserting that I had suggested the investigation be stopped.” He shared with LifeSiteNews a November 2014 letter from the two auxiliary bishops to Cardinal Marc Ouellet stating that Viganò had asked them to correct their previous report of the meeting to clarify that he did not “absolutely rule out any further investigation, but rather was concerned that we first begin to obtain information from Archbishop Nienstedt…” The former nuncio also supplied his own letter to the Cardinal about the meeting.
Regarding the memo of Fr. Dan Griffith about the case, the former nuncio stated that he had written to Archbishop Pierre, his successor as nuncio to the USA, and Archbishop Hebda, the successor of Archbishop Nienstedt as ordinary of St. Paul-Minneapolis, asking them to publicly correct it.
“In spite of repeated emails and phone calls, I never heard back from then,” Viganò said. A follow-up email, dated January 21, 2018, detailing Viganò’s repeated attempts to contact Hebda, may be viewed here.
Did Viganò strike a nerve?
In his June 11 article for America magazine, O’Loughlin mentioned that Archbishop Viganò had blamed the ongoing clerical sexual abuse crisis on “homosexual clergy who committed serious sexual abuses against minors or adults.” O’Loughlin called the retired nuncio’s statements in his third letter describing homosexuality as central to the clerical sexual abuse crisis “unfounded.”
Viganò wrote:
… This very grave crisis cannot be properly addressed and resolved unless and until we call things by their true names. This is a crisis due to the scourge of homosexuality, in its agents, in its motives, in its resistance to reform. It is no exaggeration to say that homosexuality has become a plague in the clergy, and it can only be eradicated with spiritual weapons. It is an enormous hypocrisy to condemn the abuse, claim to weep for the victims, and yet refuse to denounce the root cause of so much sexual abuse: homosexuality. It is hypocrisy to refuse to acknowledge that this scourge is due to a serious crisis in the spiritual life of the clergy and to fail to take the steps necessary to remedy it.
O’Loughlin may have personal reasons for disliking the Archbishop’s opinions on homosexuality. In a 2013 article for Huffington Post, the journalist described himself as a “gay” Catholic who “works in the church”. He also accused “many Catholic leaders” of “veiled bigotry” against same-sex attracted people.
“Sure, the cardinals and bishops who seem obsessed with issues of homosexuality usually begin their statements recalling the Catechism of the Catholic Church that reminds us all people are to be treated with dignity. But in the next breath, their words turn to sin, disorder, unnaturalness, and general judgment and condemnation,” he wrote.
“Under Pope Benedict XVI, combined with rapid advancements for LGBT people in the West, the church’s attitude and language toward gay people reached a nadir.”
But O’Loughlin, who openly dissents on Catholic teaching regarding sexuality and marriage, pinned his hopes to Pope Francis, whom he reported supported same-sex civil partnerships in Argentine, after the pontiff responded to a question about clerical homosexual misconduct with the reply “Who am I to judge?”
“… [W]hen the pope, leader of over a billion Christians, asks us to rely more on mercy than judgment, it gives people like me hope,” O’Loughlin wrote.
Joseph Sciambra, a former gay porn actor who now ministers to same-sex attracted men who wish to live chastely, observed in 2018 that McLoughlin “ reports primarily on issues concerning homosexuality and the LGBT community; he has written extensively for America, The Huffington Post, and the gay periodical The Advocate. Sciambra cited several of O’Loughlins writings attacking Catholic doctrine regarding sexuality and supporting same-sex marriage.
“Here’s how the bishops could change the public’s perception of them as being “anti-gay.”…drop the opposition to marriage equality,” O’Loughlin wrote in 2013.
“It’s here to stay, and young Catholics support it at overwhelming numbers. To be against marriage equality is equated with bigotry and being out of the mainstream. To lose a generation of Catholics on this issue is shortsighted and will hinder social justice efforts to alleviate poverty, prevent war and strengthen the common good. This will be a tragedy that will take many years to overcome.”
On June 12, James T. Keane, a senior editor for America magazine, called Archbishop Viganò a “marginal figure” and advised readers to “pay this man no attention.”
Since US President Donald Trump tweeted a link to Archbishop Viganò’s open letter to him, it has been viewed on LifeSiteNews over 3,700,000 times.
LifeSiteNews reached out to Michael J. O’Loughlin for comment but has not yet received a response.
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