lifesitenews--2020-04-16--700-year-old Christian poem about a journey through afterlife still offers spiritual guidance today

April 16 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – This year , 2020 , marks the 700th anniversary of the completion of the greatest Christian poem ever written : Dante ’ s Divina Commedia .
We do not have an exact calendar date— “ he put his pen down on the 11th of March ” —but we do know that the Florentine poet finished his work in the year 1320 .
The title given to the work by its author was simply Commedia ; Divina was added in the 16th century .
The sense of “ comedy ” is not that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fun of people or makes a person laugh out loud ( although there are moments in reading Dante that bring a broad smile or takes one ’ s breath away ) .
It is comedic in the older sense we see in Shakespeare ’ s comedies , in which characters suffer trials , setbacks , and anguish before being swept up in a happy ending that they could never have designed for themselves .
The characters receive their just deserts and a copious mercy .
There is probably no adult who hasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dark wood , at some time in his life .
This “ dark wood ” is capacious enough to remind us of so many different aspects of life—various trials and confusions that beset us , whether personally or when we look to the state of the world or the Church .
Note also that Dante uses both singular and plural , our life and myself .
He ’ s aware we have this journey in common .
Dante goes on to describe the nightmare quality of the wood he was lost in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in more ways than one , and he made the journey through hell and purgatory all the way to heaven .
Here are some of the things he discovered on his journey that may help us if we , too , feel lost in a dark and fearsome wood .
The story that remained most vividly in the mind of my wife when she first read the Commedia in college was that of Buonconte de Montefeltro , [ 3 ] who was saved from eternal damnation at the last minute .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repentance , and in battle he was stabbed in the throat .
What saved him ?
Mary .
Reading this story as a non-Catholic at the time , she found it incredible ( in the literal sense ) , both for the power it ascribes to the Blessed Virgin as well as for the fact that a single act of repentance could be so efficacious .
The devil , says Dante , was also incredulous at this demonstration of mercy : “ Tell it among the living.
” Perhaps we need to tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Memorare prayer reminds us : never was it known that anyone who called on Mary was left without aid .
Even in the last extremity .
Such is the power of Mary , such is the power of mercy .
“ ‘ A tiny tear ’ finds an ocean of mercy in reply.
” [ 6 ] The second person to highlight is the Sienese noblewoman Sapia .
She is on the terrace of purgatory for the envious , where all have their eyes sewn shut .
Peter the comb-seller , who would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an immigrant street vendor , ” [ 8 ] prayed for this rich and haughty noblewoman !
And his prayers brought her a great way up the mountain of purgatory , significantly reducing her time of purification .
Here we see the unity of the Mystical Body in action—in particular , the connection between the Church Militant and the Church Suffering .
But this is only one example of that unity and of the power the faithful have to cause the entire Mystical Body to increase in charity .
In the Paradiso , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heaven , who , shining with glory , see him and say to one another with great excitement : “ Here is one who will cause our love to grow.
” [ 9 ] By helping each other , our love for one another and for God increases .
How often do we consider this ?
Do we ever consider it ?
How much it would transform our day-to-day lives if we remembered it !
Our little sacrifices and our big ones , our acts of love , our “ offering up ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a difference to the world , to the Church .
We do not have to be , like Dante , on a journey through heaven ; it applies to us also because we are—hopefully—on a journey to heaven .
“ Nobodies ” and “ nothings ” can make a difference too .
In the Paradiso , the story of Piccarda , the would-be nun in the heaven of the moon , is often quoted , or rather , her famous line , which might be the most quoted of the poem .
Piccarda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why those in the lower heavens do not envy the souls who have more glory in the higher levels of heaven .
She says : “ In His will is our peace.
” [ 10 ] A profoundly consoling truth .
Reaching this peace requires humility , proper detachment , and trust .
My wife shared with me a conversation she had one afternoon with a Benedictine monk from Norcia , which has remained with her ever since .
She had asked him how he remained so peaceful among all the bustle and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their shop .
He said to her : “ Peace… is God ’ s will right now.
” How might we relate these three lessons from Dante to the present situation ?
First , go to Mary—always go to Mary .
Second , pray for the dead and the dying .
Your simple prayer may make all the difference to someone , and you will not know it until ( please God ) you reach heaven and meet your brother or sister who was and will be indebted to you for ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to so many others .
Third , trust in God ’ s will .
He is not surprised about what is happening .
He knows it ; He wills or allows it , because for those who love Him , it will work to their good .
As St. Pio of Pietrelcina used to say : “ Do not fear God , because He doesn ’ t want to do you any harm at all .
Love Him a great deal , because He wants to do you a great deal of good.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 , lines 1-3 .
I am using here the Hollander translation of the Comedy .
[ 8 ] Baxter , Beginner ’ s Guide , 93 .
It ’ s also interesting to observe that this Peter , a nobody , became a Franciscan hermit and was venerated in Siena as a saint .
See Hollander , Purgatorio , 290 .

Here are some of the things Dante discovered on his journey that may help us if we, too, feel lost in a dark and fearsome wood.
April 16, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – This year, 2020, marks the 700th anniversary of the completion of the greatest Christian poem ever written: Dante’s Divina Commedia.
We do not have an exact calendar date—“he put his pen down on the 11th of March”—but we do know that the Florentine poet finished his work in the year 1320. The title given to the work by its author was simply Commedia; Divina was added in the 16th century.
The sense of “comedy” is not that of modern English, something that makes fun of people or makes a person laugh out loud (although there are moments in reading Dante that bring a broad smile or takes one’s breath away). It is comedic in the older sense we see in Shakespeare’s comedies, in which characters suffer trials, setbacks, and anguish before being swept up in a happy ending that they could never have designed for themselves. The characters receive their just deserts and a copious mercy.
The Commedia opens with a famous description:
Midway in the journey of our life
I came to myself in a dark wood,
for the straight way was lost. [1]
There is probably no adult who hasn’t felt this way, lost in a dark wood, at some time in his life. This “dark wood” is capacious enough to remind us of so many different aspects of life—various trials and confusions that beset us, whether personally or when we look to the state of the world or the Church. Note also that Dante uses both singular and plural, our life and myself. He’s aware we have this journey in common.
Dante goes on to describe the nightmare quality of the wood he was lost in:
Ah, how hard it is to tell
the nature of that wood, savage, dense, and harsh—
the very thought of it renews my fear!
It is so bitter death is hardly more so. [2]
Fortunately, help came for him, in more ways than one, and he made the journey through hell and purgatory all the way to heaven. Here are some of the things he discovered on his journey that may help us if we, too, feel lost in a dark and fearsome wood.
The story that remained most vividly in the mind of my wife when she first read the Commedia in college was that of Buonconte de Montefeltro,[3] who was saved from eternal damnation at the last minute. He was a Catholic who had put off repentance, and in battle he was stabbed in the throat. What saved him? Mary.
…I made my way
wounded in the throat, fleeing on foot
and dripping blood across the plain.
There I lost sight and speech.
I ended on the name of Mary. [4]
Reading this story as a non-Catholic at the time, she found it incredible (in the literal sense), both for the power it ascribes to the Blessed Virgin as well as for the fact that a single act of repentance could be so efficacious. The devil, says Dante, was also incredulous at this demonstration of mercy:
I will tell you the truth—you tell it to the living.
God’s angel took me, and he from Hell cried out:
O you from heaven, why do you rob me?
You carry off with you this man’s eternal part.
For a little tear he’s taken from me… [5]
“Tell it among the living.” Perhaps we need to tell it to ourselves first? As the Memorare prayer reminds us: never was it known that anyone who called on Mary was left without aid. Even in the last extremity. Such is the power of Mary, such is the power of mercy. “‘A tiny tear’ finds an ocean of mercy in reply.”[6]
The second person to highlight is the Sienese noblewoman Sapia. She is on the terrace of purgatory for the envious, where all have their eyes sewn shut.
I sought my peace with God
at the very last and penitence
would not have yet reduced the debt
had it not been for Peter the comb-seller
who in his charity grieved for me
and remembered me in his devout petitions.[7]
Peter the comb-seller, who would have been the social “equivalent of an immigrant street vendor,”[8] prayed for this rich and haughty noblewoman! And his prayers brought her a great way up the mountain of purgatory, significantly reducing her time of purification. Here we see the unity of the Mystical Body in action—in particular, the connection between the Church Militant and the Church Suffering.
But this is only one example of that unity and of the power the faithful have to cause the entire Mystical Body to increase in charity. In the Paradiso, Dante meets some souls in the second heaven, who, shining with glory, see him and say to one another with great excitement: “Here is one who will cause our love to grow.”[9] By helping each other, our love for one another and for God increases.
How often do we consider this? Do we ever consider it? How much it would transform our day-to-day lives if we remembered it! Our little sacrifices and our big ones, our acts of love, our “offering up” of problems or tasks really does make a difference to the world, to the Church. We do not have to be, like Dante, on a journey through heaven; it applies to us also because we are—hopefully—on a journey to heaven. “Nobodies” and “nothings” can make a difference too.
In the Paradiso, the story of Piccarda, the would-be nun in the heaven of the moon, is often quoted, or rather, her famous line, which might be the most quoted of the poem. Piccarda is answering Dante’s question about why those in the lower heavens do not envy the souls who have more glory in the higher levels of heaven. She says: “In His will is our peace.”[10] A profoundly consoling truth. Reaching this peace requires humility, proper detachment, and trust.
My wife shared with me a conversation she had one afternoon with a Benedictine monk from Norcia, which has remained with her ever since. She had asked him how he remained so peaceful among all the bustle and hassle of dealing with guests and tourists in their shop. He said to her: “Peace… is God’s will right now.”
How might we relate these three lessons from Dante to the present situation?
First, go to Mary—always go to Mary.
Second, pray for the dead and the dying. Your simple prayer may make all the difference to someone, and you will not know it until (please God) you reach heaven and meet your brother or sister who was and will be indebted to you for ever, just as you will be indebted to so many others.
Third, trust in God’s will. He is not surprised about what is happening. He knows it; He wills or allows it, because for those who love Him, it will work to their good. As St. Pio of Pietrelcina used to say: “Do not fear God, because He doesn’t want to do you any harm at all. Love Him a great deal, because He wants to do you a great deal of good.”
NOTES
[1] Inferno, Canto 1, lines 1-3. I am using here the Hollander translation of the Comedy.
[2] Inferno 1, lines 4-7, p. 3.
[3] See Jason Baxter, A Beginner’s Guide to Dante’s Divine Comedy (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2018), 91.
[4] Purgatorio 5, lines 97–101, p. 103.
[5] Purgatorio 5, lines 103–107, p. 103.
[6] Baxter, Beginner’s Guide, 91.
[7] Purgatorio 13, lines 124-129, p. 281.
[8] Baxter, Beginner’s Guide, 93. It’s also interesting to observe that this Peter, a nobody, became a Franciscan hermit and was venerated in Siena as a saint. See Hollander, Purgatorio, 290.
[9] Dante, Paradiso 5, line 105, p. 129.
[10] Paradiso 3, line 85, p. 69.
[11] John McClernon, Sermon in Sentence: St. Pio of Pietrelcina (London: Baronious Press, 2019), 97.
Peter Kwasniewski, Thomistic theologian, liturgical scholar, and choral composer, is a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College in California (B.A. Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy). He taught at the International Theological Institute in Austria and the Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Austria Program, then helped establish Wyoming Catholic College in 2006. There he taught theology, philosophy, music, and art history and directed the choirs until leaving in 2018 to devote himself full-time to writing and lecturing. Today he contributes regularly to many websites and publications, including New Liturgical Movement, OnePeterFive, LifeSiteNews, Rorate Caeli, The Remnant, and Catholic Family News, and has published thirteen books, including four on traditional Catholicism: Resurgent in the Midst of Crisis (Angelico, 2014, also available in Czech, Polish, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Belarusian), Noble Beauty, Transcendent Holiness (Angelico, 2017), Tradition and Sanity (Angelico, 2018), and Reclaiming Our Roman Catholic Birthright: The Genius and Timeliness of the Traditional Latin Mass (Angelico, 2020). His work has been translated into at least eighteen languages. Kwasniewski is a scholar of The Aquinas Institute in Green Bay, which is publishing the Opera Omnia of the Angelic Doctor, a Fellow of the Albertus Magnus Center for Scholastic Studies, and a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center. He has published over a thousand articles on Thomistic thought, sacramental and liturgical theology, the history and aesthetics of music, and the social doctrine of the Church. For news, information, article links, sacred music, and the home of Os Justi Press, visit his personal website, www.peterkwasniewski.com.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-18--Join LifeSite’s online Divine Mercy Holy Hour to pray for sinners (Saturday, 6 PM EDT)

April 18 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― LifeSiteNews is streaming a special Holy Hour prayer service for Catholics throughout the world Saturday at 6:00pm Eastern time in anticipation of Divine Mercy Sunday .
The aim of the Holy Hour is for Catholics to beg God for the conversion of sinners and for the graces of His Mercy .
It includes the Divine Mercy Chaplet and meditations on several passages from the Diary of St. Faustina .
Fr .
Anthony Pillari is leading the prayers and reflections on LifeSite ’ s Youtube channel at 6:00pm , Eastern Daylight Time ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been live streaming the Holy Rosary from Italy through LifeSiteNews over the past month .
The 6:00 pm release time allows the faithful in North America to join as a preparation for Divine Mercy Sunday while making it available in time for Australian viewers to tune in as part of their Divine Mercy Sunday celebrations .
The video will continue to be available on LifeSite ’ s Youtube channel so Catholics throughout the world may join in on the feast , or later , as they choose .
Saint Faustina Kowalska , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lived from 1905 to 1938 .
In 1931 , she experienced her first vision of the Divine Mercy : Our Lord Jesus with white and red rays emanating from his heart .
She wrote in her diary that he instructed her to record him like this , saying “ Paint an image according to the pattern you see , with the words ‘ Jesus , I trust in You ’ .
I desire that this image be venerated , first in your chapel , and then throughout the world .
I promise that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not perish.
” Her visions persisted , and she spent the rest of her life promoting devotion to the Divine Mercy .
In reflecting on the importance of the Divine Mercy for sinners , Father Pillari told LifeSiteNews that St. Faustina had written about a vision of hell in which most souls there had something in common .
“ ‘ I noticed… that most of the souls [ in Hell ] are those who disbelieved that there is a hell ’ ( Diary 741 ) .
With these words , St. Faustina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Pillari said via email .
“ During this vision , she saw ‘ … the tortures suffered by all the damned together , but that is not the end of the sufferings .
There are special tortures destined for particular souls .
These are the torments of the senses .
Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings , related to the manner in which it has sinned… I would have died at the very sight of these tortures if the omnipotence of God had not supported me .
Let the sinner know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eternity , in those senses which he made use of to sin , ” Pillari continued .
“ With this sobering vision , God reminds us , through St. Faustina , of our great need of the Divine Mercy .
In her diary , side by side with such stark visions ( see also Diary 153 on the two roads [ below ] ) , there are constant invitations to conversion and to trust in God ’ s Mercy.
” As Divine Mercy Sunday is a relatively new celebration , having been instituted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some Catholics may wonder how the feast corresponds to the traditional celebration of Low , or Quasimodo , Sunday , the first Sunday following Easter Sunday .
Fr .
Pillari told LifeSiteNews that this Sunday has always had a special connection to God ’ s mercy .
“ In the traditional liturgy , the Gospel for that Sunday has always been that of the appearance of the risen Lord to the Apostles and the conferral of the power to absolve sins , ” he explained .
“ Hence , that Sunday has always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s mercy .
According to St. Thomas Aquinas , Mercy may be considered the greatest of God ’ s attributes ( Summa Theologiae II-II , q .
30 , a .
4 ) , ” he continued .
“ A Sunday devoted to invoking God ’ s mercy upon the world , and to receiving His mercy , especially through the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion , is quite in harmony with the Church ’ s tradition.
” Devotion to the Divine Mercy is promoted around the world by the Marist Fathers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Director of the Association of Marian Helpers at The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge , MA .
Recently he encouraged Catholics to post copies of The Divine Mercy image to their doors as a sign of faith in God ’ s protection .
The following passages are taken from the Diary of St. Faustina and they refer to her visions of Hell , Purgatory and Heaven .
Two Paths : `` ...
I saw two roads .
One was broad , covered with sand and flowers , full of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pleasures .
People walked along it , dancing and enjoying themselves .
They reached the end without realizing it .
And at the end of the road there was a horrible precipice ; that is , the abyss of hell .
The souls fell blindly into it ; as they walked , so they fell .
And their number was so great that it was impossible to count them .
“ And I saw the other road , or rather , a path , for it was narrow and strewn with thorns and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along it had tears in their eyes , and all kinds of suffering befell them .
Some fell down upon the rocks , but stood up immediately and went on .
At the end of the road there was a magnificent garden filled with all sorts of happiness and all these souls entered there .
At the very first instant they forgot all their sufferings '' ( Diary , 153 ) .
Hell : `` Today I was led by an Angel to the chasms of hell .
It is a place of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extensive it is !
The kinds of tortures I saw : the first torture that constitutes hell is the loss of God ; the second is perpetual remorse of conscience ; the third is that one ’ s condition will never change ; the fourth is the fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it , a terrible suffering , since it is a purely spiritual fire , lit by God ’ s anger ; the fifth torture is conditional darkness and a terrible suffocating smell , and despite the darkness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damned see each other and all the evil , both of others and their own ; the sixth torture is the constant company of satan , the seventh torture is horrible despair , hatred of God , vile words , curses and blasphemies .
“ These are the tortures suffered by all the damned together , but that is not the end of the sufferings .
There are special tortures destined for particular souls .
These are the torments of the senses .
Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings , related to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are caverns and pits of torture where one form of agony differs from another .
“ I would have died at the very sight of these tortures if the omnipotence of God had not supported me .
Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity , in those senses which he made use of to sin .
I am writing this at the command of God , so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell , or that nobody has ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can say what it is like .
“ I , Sister Faustina , by the order of God , have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence .
I can not speak about it now ; but I have received a command from God to leave it in writing .
The devils were full of hatred for me , but they had to obey me at the command of God .
What I have written is but a pale shadow of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one thing : that most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell .
When I came to , I could hardly recover from the fright .
How terribly souls suffer there !
“ Consequently , I pray even more fervently for the conversion of sinners .
I incessantly plead God ’ s mercy upon them .
O my Jesus , I would rather be in agony until the end of the world , amidst the greatest sufferings , then offend You by the least sin ” ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` ...
I saw my Guardian Angel , who ordered me to follow him .
In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls .
They were praying fervently , but to no avail , for themselves ; only we can come to their aid .
The flames , which were burning them , did not touch me at all .
My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant .
I asked these souls what their greatest suffering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voice that their greatest torment was longing for God .
“ I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in Purgatory .
The souls call Her “ The Star of the Sea ” .
She brings them refreshment .
I wanted to talk with them some more , but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave .
We went out of that prison of suffering .
[ I heard an interior voice which said ] ‘ My mercy does not want this , but justice demands it .
Since that time , I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ” ( Diary , 20 ) Heaven : `` November 27 , 1936 .
Today I was in heaven , in spirit , and I saw its inconceivable beauties and the happiness that awaits us after death .
I saw how all creatures give ceaseless praise and glory to God .
I saw how great is happiness in God , which spreads to all creatures , making them happy ; and then all the glory and praise which springs from this happiness returns to its source ; and they enter into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life of God , the Father , the Son , and the Holy Spirit , whom they will never comprehend or fathom .
This source of happiness is unchanging in its essence , but it is always new , gushing forth happiness for all creatures .
“ Now I understand Saint Paul , who said , “ Eye has not seen , nor has ear heard , nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love him.
” And God has given me to understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is of infinite value in His eyes , and that is love of God ; love , love and once again , love ; and nothing can compare with a single act of pure love of God .
“ Oh , with what inconceivable favors God gifts a soul that loves Him sincerely !
Oh , how happy is the soul who already here on earth enjoys His special favors !
And of such are the little and humble souls .
The sight of this great majesty of God , which I came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worshipped by the heavenly spirits according to their degree of grace and the hierarchies into which they are divided , did not cause my soul to be stricken with terror or fear ; no , no , not at all !
My soul was filled with peace and love , and the more I come to know the greatness of God , the more joyful I become that He is as He is .
And I rejoice immensely in His greatness and am delighted that I am so little because , since I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His arms and holds me close to His Heart .
“ O my God , how I pity those people who do not believe in eternal life ; how I pray for them that a ray of mercy would envelop them too , and that God would clasp them to His fatherly bosom ... `` ( Diary , 777 ) .
“ I desire trust from My creatures .
Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless mercy .
Let the weak , sinful soul have no fear to approach Me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than there are grains of sand in the world , and all would be drowned in the immeasurable depths of My mercy .
( Diary , 1059 )

April 18, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― LifeSiteNews is streaming a special Holy Hour prayer service for Catholics throughout the world Saturday at 6:00pm Eastern time in anticipation of Divine Mercy Sunday.
The aim of the Holy Hour is for Catholics to beg God for the conversion of sinners and for the graces of His Mercy. It includes the Divine Mercy Chaplet and meditations on several passages from the Diary of St. Faustina.
Fr. Anthony Pillari is leading the prayers and reflections on LifeSite’s Youtube channel at 6:00pm, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Fr. Pillari has been live streaming the Holy Rosary from Italy through LifeSiteNews over the past month.
The 6:00 pm release time allows the faithful in North America to join as a preparation for Divine Mercy Sunday while making it available in time for Australian viewers to tune in as part of their Divine Mercy Sunday celebrations. The video will continue to be available on LifeSite’s Youtube channel so Catholics throughout the world may join in on the feast, or later, as they choose.
Saint Faustina Kowalska, who was born in Głogowiec, Poland, lived from 1905 to 1938. In 1931, she experienced her first vision of the Divine Mercy: Our Lord Jesus with white and red rays emanating from his heart. She wrote in her diary that he instructed her to record him like this, saying “Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the words ‘Jesus, I trust in You’. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the world. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish.” Her visions persisted, and she spent the rest of her life promoting devotion to the Divine Mercy.
In reflecting on the importance of the Divine Mercy for sinners, Father Pillari told LifeSiteNews that St. Faustina had written about a vision of hell in which most souls there had something in common.
“‘I noticed… that most of the souls [in Hell] are those who disbelieved that there is a hell’ (Diary 741). With these words, St. Faustina concludes her sobering description of hell,” Pillari said via email.
“During this vision, she saw ‘… the tortures suffered by all the damned together, but that is not the end of the sufferings. There are special tortures destined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings, related to the manner in which it has sinned… I would have died at the very sight of these tortures if the omnipotence of God had not supported me. Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin,” Pillari continued.
“With this sobering vision, God reminds us, through St. Faustina, of our great need of the Divine Mercy. In her diary, side by side with such stark visions (see also Diary 153 on the two roads [below]), there are constant invitations to conversion and to trust in God’s Mercy.”
As Divine Mercy Sunday is a relatively new celebration, having been instituted worldwide by St. John Paul II, some Catholics may wonder how the feast corresponds to the traditional celebration of Low, or Quasimodo, Sunday, the first Sunday following Easter Sunday. Fr. Pillari told LifeSiteNews that this Sunday has always had a special connection to God’s mercy.
“In the traditional liturgy, the Gospel for that Sunday has always been that of the appearance of the risen Lord to the Apostles and the conferral of the power to absolve sins,” he explained.
“Hence, that Sunday has always featured a special emphasis on God’s mercy. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, Mercy may be considered the greatest of God’s attributes (Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 30, a. 4),” he continued.
“A Sunday devoted to invoking God’s mercy upon the world, and to receiving His mercy, especially through the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion, is quite in harmony with the Church’s tradition.”
Devotion to the Divine Mercy is promoted around the world by the Marist Fathers. Marist Fr. Chris Alar is the Director of the Association of Marian Helpers at The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA. Recently he encouraged Catholics to post copies of The Divine Mercy image to their doors as a sign of faith in God’s protection.
***
Preparatory Readings for Saturday’s Divine Mercy Holy Hour
The following passages are taken from the Diary of St. Faustina and they refer to her visions of Hell, Purgatory and Heaven.
Two Paths: “…I saw two roads. One was broad, covered with sand and flowers, full of joy, music and all sorts of pleasures. People walked along it, dancing and enjoying themselves. They reached the end without realizing it. And at the end of the road there was a horrible precipice; that is, the abyss of hell. The souls fell blindly into it; as they walked, so they fell. And their number was so great that it was impossible to count them.
“And I saw the other road, or rather, a path, for it was narrow and strewn with thorns and rocks; and the people who walked along it had tears in their eyes, and all kinds of suffering befell them. Some fell down upon the rocks, but stood up immediately and went on. At the end of the road there was a magnificent garden filled with all sorts of happiness and all these souls entered there. At the very first instant they forgot all their sufferings” (Diary, 153).
Hell: “Today I was led by an Angel to the chasms of hell. It is a place of great torture; how awesomely large and extensive it is! The kinds of tortures I saw: the first torture that constitutes hell is the loss of God; the second is perpetual remorse of conscience; the third is that one’s condition will never change; the fourth is the fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it, a terrible suffering, since it is a purely spiritual fire, lit by God’s anger; the fifth torture is conditional darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and despite the darkness, the devils and the souls of the damned see each other and all the evil, both of others and their own; the sixth torture is the constant company of satan, the seventh torture is horrible despair, hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies.
“These are the tortures suffered by all the damned together, but that is not the end of the sufferings. There are special tortures destined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings, related to the manner in which it has sinned. There are caverns and pits of torture where one form of agony differs from another.
“I would have died at the very sight of these tortures if the omnipotence of God had not supported me. Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin. I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like.
“I, Sister Faustina, by the order of God, have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence. I cannot speak about it now; but I have received a command from God to leave it in writing. The devils were full of hatred for me, but they had to obey me at the command of God. What I have written is but a pale shadow of the things I saw. But I noticed one thing: that most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell. When I came to, I could hardly recover from the fright. How terribly souls suffer there!
“Consequently, I pray even more fervently for the conversion of sinners. I incessantly plead God’s mercy upon them. O my Jesus, I would rather be in agony until the end of the world, amidst the greatest sufferings, then offend You by the least sin” (Diary, 741).
Purgatory: ” …I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames, which were burning them, did not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God.
“I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in Purgatory. The souls call Her “The Star of the Sea”. She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. [I heard an interior voice which said] ‘My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it. Since that time, I am in closer communion with the suffering souls.’” (Diary, 20)
Heaven: “November 27, 1936. Today I was in heaven, in spirit, and I saw its inconceivable beauties and the happiness that awaits us after death. I saw how all creatures give ceaseless praise and glory to God. I saw how great is happiness in God, which spreads to all creatures, making them happy; and then all the glory and praise which springs from this happiness returns to its source; and they enter into the depths of God, contemplating the inner life of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, whom they will never comprehend or fathom. This source of happiness is unchanging in its essence, but it is always new, gushing forth happiness for all creatures.
“Now I understand Saint Paul, who said, “Eye has not seen, nor has ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love him.” And God has given me to understand that there is but one thing that is of infinite value in His eyes, and that is love of God; love, love and once again, love; and nothing can compare with a single act of pure love of God.
“Oh, with what inconceivable favors God gifts a soul that loves Him sincerely! Oh, how happy is the soul who already here on earth enjoys His special favors! And of such are the little and humble souls. The sight of this great majesty of God, which I came to understand more profoundly and which is worshipped by the heavenly spirits according to their degree of grace and the hierarchies into which they are divided, did not cause my soul to be stricken with terror or fear; no, no, not at all! My soul was filled with peace and love, and the more I come to know the greatness of God, the more joyful I become that He is as He is. And I rejoice immensely in His greatness and am delighted that I am so little because, since I am little, He carries me in His arms and holds me close to His Heart.
“O my God, how I pity those people who do not believe in eternal life; how I pray for them that a ray of mercy would envelop them too, and that God would clasp them to His fatherly bosom… ” (Diary, 777).
“I desire trust from My creatures. Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, and all would be drowned in the immeasurable depths of My mercy. (Diary, 1059)
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lifesitenews--2020-04-18--Join LifeSite’s online Divine Mercy Holy Hour to pray for sinners (available now)


lifesitenews--2020-04-21--Lawsuit challenges city’s ban on drive-in church services

CHATTANOOGA , Tennessee , April 20 , 2020 ( Alliance Defending Freedom ) – Attorneys representing a Chattanooga church filed suit in federal court Thursday to challenge the city ’ s ban on drive-in services .
Originally , the city and its mayor , Andrew Berke , tailored its COVID-19 restrictions to a statewide order that allows for drive-in services but abruptly reversed course to specifically to prohibit them .
On April 9 , Berke posted a message aimed at churches on the city website and on his official Facebook page regarding the order , stating that “ drive-in services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ windows rolled up , for any length of time , will be considered a violation of our shelter-in-place directive.
” Neither the mayor nor the city has been willing to back off on the amended directive , despite the U.S. Department of Justice ’ s strong concern over the overreaching bans , as expressed in a statement of interest that the agency filed in a similar ADF case in Mississippi .
“ City officials go too far when they single out churches for punishment , preventing them from alternate versions of worship during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comply with health and safety recommendations from both state and federal authorities , ” said Alliance Defending Freedom senior counsel Ryan Tucker , director of the ADF Center for Christian Ministries .
“ It makes no sense that you can sit in your car in a crowded parking lot or at a drive-in restaurant in Chattanooga , but you can ’ t sit in your car at a drive-in church service .
Chattanooga ’ s ban is unnecessary and unconstitutional , and that ’ s why we have filed suit.
” Earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tab Church asked the Chattanooga Police Department whether drive-in church services were permitted in the city .
Ball was told that a drive-in church service would not violate the city ’ s order .
And another pastor in Chattanooga told Ball that he discussed holding a drive-in church service directly with the mayor , who indicated at that time that it was permissible .
On April 9 , the city and the mayor banned drive-in church services , so the church cancelled its plan for a drive-in Easter service but intends to begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lawsuit explains , “ Despite being on notice from both the DOJ and ( the church ’ s ) counsel that its drive-in church ban is unconstitutional , the City issued another statement on April 14 , 2020 , stating that ‘ The Mayor is required to reissue these orders every seven days and continues to do so until it is deemed safe to lift this order .
This means ... No drive-in church service.
’ ” The complaint filed in Metropolitan Tabernacle Church v. City of Chattanooga , filed with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Tennessee , asks the court to rule the city ’ s ban unconstitutional and bar its enforcement for running afoul of the freedoms protected by the First Amendment and state law .
Nathan Kellum , one of more than 3,100 attorneys allied with ADF , is serving as local counsel in the case on behalf of the church .
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building , non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith .

The city of Chattanooga was going to allow church members to worship in their cars but then rescinded the permission.
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee, April 20, 2020 (Alliance Defending Freedom) – Attorneys representing a Chattanooga church filed suit in federal court Thursday to challenge the city’s ban on drive-in services. Originally, the city and its mayor, Andrew Berke, tailored its COVID-19 restrictions to a statewide order that allows for drive-in services but abruptly reversed course to specifically to prohibit them.
On April 9, Berke posted a message aimed at churches on the city website and on his official Facebook page regarding the order, stating that “drive-in services … even in their cars with the windows rolled up, for any length of time, will be considered a violation of our shelter-in-place directive.” Neither the mayor nor the city has been willing to back off on the amended directive, despite the U.S. Department of Justice’s strong concern over the overreaching bans, as expressed in a statement of interest that the agency filed in a similar ADF case in Mississippi.
“City officials go too far when they single out churches for punishment, preventing them from alternate versions of worship during this pandemic that are specifically designed to comply with health and safety recommendations from both state and federal authorities,” said Alliance Defending Freedom senior counsel Ryan Tucker, director of the ADF Center for Christian Ministries. “It makes no sense that you can sit in your car in a crowded parking lot or at a drive-in restaurant in Chattanooga, but you can’t sit in your car at a drive-in church service. Chattanooga’s ban is unnecessary and unconstitutional, and that’s why we have filed suit.”
Earlier this month, Pastor Steve Ball of Metro Tab Church asked the Chattanooga Police Department whether drive-in church services were permitted in the city. Ball was told that a drive-in church service would not violate the city’s order. And another pastor in Chattanooga told Ball that he discussed holding a drive-in church service directly with the mayor, who indicated at that time that it was permissible.
On April 9, the city and the mayor banned drive-in church services, so the church cancelled its plan for a drive-in Easter service but intends to begin drive-in services on April 19.
As the lawsuit explains, “Despite being on notice from both the DOJ and (the church’s) counsel that its drive-in church ban is unconstitutional, the City issued another statement on April 14, 2020, stating that ‘The Mayor is required to reissue these orders every seven days and continues to do so until it is deemed safe to lift this order. This means … No drive-in church service.’”
The complaint filed in Metropolitan Tabernacle Church v. City of Chattanooga, filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, asks the court to rule the city’s ban unconstitutional and bar its enforcement for running afoul of the freedoms protected by the First Amendment and state law. Nathan Kellum, one of more than 3,100 attorneys allied with ADF, is serving as local counsel in the case on behalf of the church.
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-20--Facebook CEO Zuckerberg: Posts planning lockdown protests are ‘harmful information,’ will be deleted

April 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced today that he considers protests against regional stay-at-home orders being organized on Facebook to be “ harmful misinformation ” that must be deleted .
In a video interview this morning , ABC ’ s George Stephanopoulos asked the social media titan , “ How do you deal with the fact that Facebook is now being used to organize a lot of these protests that defy social distancing guidelines ?
If somebody is trying to organize something like that , does that qualify as harmful information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defy social distancing ’ ?
” “ We do classify that as ‘ harmful misinformation ’ ” responded Zuckerberg , “ and we take that down.
” “ At the same time , it 's important that people can debate policies , ” continued Zuckerberg , “ so there 's a line on this.
” “ But , you know , more than normal political discourse , I think a lot of the stuff that people are saying that is false around a health emergency like this can be classified as harmful misinformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imminent physical danger and we ’ ll just take that kind of content down , ” he added .
Over the last week , protests have been successfully organized in other states , most noticeably in Michigan , where thousands who participated in “ Operation Gridlock ” descended on the state capital in their cars and trucks to demand that onerous restrictions be lifted .
The policy is already taking its toll on would-be-protests .
Save Jersey reported that they were “ thrown a curveball ” when Facebook took down the grassroots organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Open New Jersey ” rally – planned for Tuesday , April 28 at the Trenton War Memorial – was informed by Facebook that its event page violated the social media platform ’ s community standards .
Specifically , Facebook warned that it was “ coordinating harm and promoting crime.
” Shortly before the page was shut down , anyone viewing the page was prompted to review social distancing guidelines ; Facebook also warned that everyone should “ avoid large gatherings during this time.
” Organizer Angela DeVoe of Forked River told Save Jersey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rally , which at the time the page was shut down , had attracted the interest of more than 800 individuals .
“ We would like the governor to recognize that most of us can return safely to work by May 1 , 2020 , ” said DeVoe .
“ Small business should be open and allowed to operate immediately .
The parks and beaches shall resume operation .
We should be able as Americans to the make choices for ourselves and our families that best coincide with our individual needs.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallies notwithstanding , President Donald Trump has signaled support for the state and grassroots protesters who are seeking to save a rapidly deteriorating local economies .
While Facebook is busy banning the organizing of regional stay-at-home protests – whether or not organizers advise “ safe distancing ” – the reliability of one of the social media platform ’ s “ fact checkers ” is being questioned .
A Duke University scientist who helps Facebook identify false information regarding the coronavirus pandemic has been found to have ties to the Wuhan biolab where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls into question her ability to render agenda-free , independent judgments .
Investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson , esteemed for her nonpartisanship , tweeted , “ If you follow the info , you will find the Facebook fake fact-checker on the China Wuhan lab is a scientist who works/worked at China 's Wuhan lab the past two years and says it is impossible that they would be sloppy because they are very careful !
”

‘We do classify that as ‘harmful misinformation,’' said Zuckerberg, ‘and we take that down.’
April 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced today that he considers protests against regional stay-at-home orders being organized on Facebook to be “harmful misinformation” that must be deleted.
In a video interview this morning, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos asked the social media titan, “How do you deal with the fact that Facebook is now being used to organize a lot of these protests that defy social distancing guidelines? If somebody is trying to organize something like that, does that qualify as harmful information, because it’s saying ‘defy social distancing’?”
“We do classify that as ‘harmful misinformation’” responded Zuckerberg, “and we take that down.”
“At the same time, it's important that people can debate policies,” continued Zuckerberg, “so there's a line on this.”
“But, you know, more than normal political discourse, I think a lot of the stuff that people are saying that is false around a health emergency like this can be classified as harmful misinformation that has a risk of leading to imminent physical danger and we’ll just take that kind of content down,” he added.
Over the last week, protests have been successfully organized in other states, most noticeably in Michigan, where thousands who participated in “Operation Gridlock” descended on the state capital in their cars and trucks to demand that onerous restrictions be lifted.
Facebook: Protest organizing is ‘coordinating harm’ and ‘promoting crime’
The policy is already taking its toll on would-be-protests.
Save Jersey reported that they were “thrown a curveball” when Facebook took down the grassroots organization’s event page.
The “Open New Jersey” rally – planned for Tuesday, April 28 at the Trenton War Memorial – was informed by Facebook that its event page violated the social media platform’s community standards. Specifically, Facebook warned that it was “coordinating harm and promoting crime.” Here’s the message: Shortly before the page was shut down, anyone viewing the page was prompted to review social distancing guidelines; Facebook also warned that everyone should “avoid large gatherings during this time.” Organizer Angela DeVoe of Forked River told Save Jersey that she plans to move ahead with the rally, which at the time the page was shut down, had attracted the interest of more than 800 individuals. “We would like the governor to recognize that most of us can return safely to work by May 1, 2020,” said DeVoe. “Small business should be open and allowed to operate immediately. The parks and beaches shall resume operation. We should be able as Americans to the make choices for ourselves and our families that best coincide with our individual needs.”
Facebook’s condemnation of the protest rallies notwithstanding, President Donald Trump has signaled support for the state and grassroots protesters who are seeking to save a rapidly deteriorating local economies.
Facebook COVID-19 ‘fact checker’ has ties to Wuhan biolab
While Facebook is busy banning the organizing of regional stay-at-home protests – whether or not organizers advise “safe distancing” – the reliability of one of the social media platform’s “fact checkers” is being questioned.
A Duke University scientist who helps Facebook identify false information regarding the coronavirus pandemic has been found to have ties to the Wuhan biolab where the virus most likely originated.
The connection calls into question her ability to render agenda-free, independent judgments.
Investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson, esteemed for her nonpartisanship, tweeted, “If you follow the info, you will find the Facebook fake fact-checker on the China Wuhan lab is a scientist who works/worked at China's Wuhan lab the past two years and says it is impossible that they would be sloppy because they are very careful!”
If you follow the info, you will find the Facebook fake fact-checker on the China Wuhan lab is a scientist who works/worked at China's Wuhan lab the past two years and says it is impossible that they would be sloppy because they are very careful! ����@Facebook https://t.co/Ldvu7He82v — Sharyl Attkisson��♂ (@SharylAttkisson) April 16, 2020
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lifesitenews--2020-04-20--In Easter interview, German bishops’ head calls for changing Church teaching on homosexuality

LIMBURG , Germany , April 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The president of the German Bishops ’ Conference , Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg , has called for changing the Church ’ s official teaching on “ practiced homosexuality ” by “ jumping over trenches.
” “ Here the statement of the Catechism is first of all that these people are to be met with esteem and respect , ” Bätzing said in an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung on Easter Sunday .
“ But every single sexual act is seen as evidence of a disordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many people no longer want or can understand.
” Bätzing , who was elected as head of the German bishops only last month , claimed that in moral theology , “ we have long since moved towards saying ” that if “ true love and faithfulness are lived , ” even among same-sex partners , “ we must acknowledge that.
” The bishop suggested that the Church is unable to reach and influence anyone .
“ People decide how they live , anyway , ” Bätzing said .
He then asked , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is under the blessing of God ?
” Bätzing expressed his hope “ that we can come to a statement on this during the Synodal Path .
This would be a sign that the public would see as a bridge.
” In his statements to Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung , Bätzing seemed more concerned with pleasing “ the public ” than with presenting and explaining the teaching of the Church .
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “ [ b ] asing itself on Sacred Scripture , which presents homosexual acts as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always declared that ‘ homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.
’ They are contrary to the natural law .
They close the sexual act to the gift of life .
They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity .
Under no circumstances can they be approved.
” Admitting that the number of people “ who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible , ” the Catechism points out that for most of them , their inclination “ constitutes for most of them a trial .
They must be accepted with respect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.
” Just like people with a regular sexuality , those who are attracted to members of the same sex “ are called to fulfill God ’ s will in their lives and , if they are Christians , to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord ’ s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
” In practice , the Catechism concludes , that means that “ [ h ] omosexual persons are called to chastity .
By the virtues of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at times by the support of disinterested friendship , by prayer and sacramental grace , they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
” Bishop Bätzing was responsible for a working document on sexual morality published ahead of the Synodal Path in 2019 , which defended the use of contraception , masturbation , and an active homosexual lifestyle .
In preparation for the Synodal Path , which the German bishops launched in cooperation with the Central Committee of German Catholics , he was one of two people overseeing the work of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year , he was confirmed in that position .
The 21-page working document served as a basis for discussion at the first assembly of the Synodal Path in Frankfurt in January and February .
It demands that sexual morality must develop “ on the basis of insights of the human sciences , including the life experience [ … ] of ( faithful ) loving people.
” The document encourages the Church to rely upon the human sciences , namely “ psychology , sociology , anthropology.
” That would open up the many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the teaching authority of the Church , “ which sees sexual activity only within marriage , and still directed strongly towards procreation.
” According to the document , “ homosexual acts also realize positive meaningful values , insofar as they are an expression of friendship , reliability , loyalty and support in life.
” Homosexuality , it adds , should no longer be considered as intrinsically evil .
A blessing of homosexual unions is not excluded by the working document .
In his conversation with Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung on Easter Sunday , Bätzing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of prohibition ” in the context of sexual morality .
According to this understanding , the Church only says no to things like sexual intercourse before or outside of marriage , practiced homosexuality , divorce .
Faithful Catholics point out that the term of “ a morality of prohibition ” does not accurately describe the reality .
A husband who loves his wife does not cheat on her – not because the Church prohibits it , but because he does not want to hurt her , out of love .
In the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ married priests would not be “ a damage to the Church .
On the contrary.
” Nevertheless , he said “ it would be a great loss for the Church if there were only married priests and no longer those who have decided to become celibate.
” A move toward female ‘ ordination ’ because of ‘ gender equality ’ ?
Finally , Bätzing talked about the issue of women ’ s “ ordination.
” On the one hand , Bätzing admitted that the teaching of the Church is very clear .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to use the sacramental can exercise the priesthood , there are clear teaching authority barriers and statements that Pope John Paul II , Pope Benedict and Pope Francis .
This is a limit.
” At the same time , he argued that “ [ t ] he discussion is not off the table because of that.
” He did not explain how something that has been definitively decided can still be discussed .
He only offered , “ We live in a society , in which gender equality is becoming increasingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With pay , quotas , women in management positions , the goal has not yet been achieved , either.
” Bätzing then returned to the theme of having to discuss the question of women “ priests.
” He said “ we need to discuss what it means for the Church to live in a society in which basically every position is realized by men and women.
” Pope John Paul II had declared in his Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis that only men could be priests .
“ I declare that the Church has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church ’ s faithful , ” he wrote in 1994 .
Bishop Bätzing not only wants to change Church teaching on sexual morality and , potentially , the priesthood .
He is also a supporter of a study arguing in favor of having Christians of any background receive the Eucharist during a Catholic Mass .
The study , titled “ Together at the Lord ’ s Table , ” was published in the fall of 2019 by the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theologians ” ( “ Ökumenischer Arbeitskreis evangelischer und katholischer Theologen ” ) .
The working group , Bätzing claimed at a press conference in March , based its conclusions on “ recent theological and especially liturgical insights and the results of previous ecumenical dialogue.
” “ It is my personal conviction that what is written there is justifiable , ” he added .

The Church’s teaching, Bishop Bätzing claimed, 'is something that many people no longer want or can understand.'
PETITION: Join faithful German Catholics in resisting bishops’ plan to ‘Protestantize’ Church Sign the petition here.
LIMBURG, Germany, April 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The president of the German Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, has called for changing the Church’s official teaching on “practiced homosexuality” by “jumping over trenches.”
“Here the statement of the Catechism is first of all that these people are to be met with esteem and respect,” Bätzing said in an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung on Easter Sunday. “But every single sexual act is seen as evidence of a disordered sexual life. This is something that many people no longer want or can understand.”
Bätzing, who was elected as head of the German bishops only last month, claimed that in moral theology, “we have long since moved towards saying” that if “true love and faithfulness are lived,” even among same-sex partners, “we must acknowledge that.”
The bishop suggested that the Church is unable to reach and influence anyone. “People decide how they live, anyway,” Bätzing said.
He then asked, “Can we tell them that their relationship is under the blessing of God?” Bätzing expressed his hope “that we can come to a statement on this during the Synodal Path. This would be a sign that the public would see as a bridge.”
In his statements to Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Bätzing seemed more concerned with pleasing “the public” than with presenting and explaining the teaching of the Church.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “[b]asing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’ They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.”
Admitting that the number of people “who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible,” the Catechism points out that for most of them, their inclination “constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”
Just like people with a regular sexuality, those who are attracted to members of the same sex “are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.”
In practice, the Catechism concludes, that means that “[h]omosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.”
Bishop Bätzing was responsible for a working document on sexual morality published ahead of the Synodal Path in 2019, which defended the use of contraception, masturbation, and an active homosexual lifestyle.
In preparation for the Synodal Path, which the German bishops launched in cooperation with the Central Committee of German Catholics, he was one of two people overseeing the work of the committee on sexual morality. Earlier this year, he was confirmed in that position.
The 21-page working document served as a basis for discussion at the first assembly of the Synodal Path in Frankfurt in January and February. It demands that sexual morality must develop “on the basis of insights of the human sciences, including the life experience […] of (faithful) loving people.”
The document encourages the Church to rely upon the human sciences, namely “psychology, sociology, anthropology.” That would open up the many prohibitions of sexual morality as proposed by the teaching authority of the Church, “which sees sexual activity only within marriage, and still directed strongly towards procreation.”
According to the document, “homosexual acts also realize positive meaningful values, insofar as they are an expression of friendship, reliability, loyalty and support in life.” Homosexuality, it adds, should no longer be considered as intrinsically evil. A blessing of homosexual unions is not excluded by the working document.
In his conversation with Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung on Easter Sunday, Bätzing lamented what he called “a morality of prohibition” in the context of sexual morality. According to this understanding, the Church only says no to things like sexual intercourse before or outside of marriage, practiced homosexuality, divorce.
Faithful Catholics point out that the term of “a morality of prohibition” does not accurately describe the reality. A husband who loves his wife does not cheat on her – not because the Church prohibits it, but because he does not want to hurt her, out of love.
In the same interview, the Bishop also said that married priests would not be “a damage to the Church. On the contrary.” Nevertheless, he said “it would be a great loss for the Church if there were only married priests and no longer those who have decided to become celibate.”
A move toward female ‘ordination’ because of ‘gender equality’?
Finally, Bätzing talked about the issue of women’s “ordination.”
On the one hand, Bätzing admitted that the teaching of the Church is very clear. “On the question of whether women should be able to use the sacramental can exercise the priesthood, there are clear teaching authority barriers and statements that Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict and Pope Francis. This is a limit.”
At the same time, he argued that “[t]he discussion is not off the table because of that.” He did not explain how something that has been definitively decided can still be discussed.
He only offered, “We live in a society, in which gender equality is becoming increasingly prevalent. That’s good. With pay, quotas, women in management positions, the goal has not yet been achieved, either.”
Bätzing then returned to the theme of having to discuss the question of women “priests.” He said “we need to discuss what it means for the Church to live in a society in which basically every position is realized by men and women.”
Pope John Paul II had declared in his Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis that only men could be priests. “I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful,” he wrote in 1994.
Bishop Bätzing not only wants to change Church teaching on sexual morality and, potentially, the priesthood. He is also a supporter of a study arguing in favor of having Christians of any background receive the Eucharist during a Catholic Mass.
The study, titled “Together at the Lord’s Table,” was published in the fall of 2019 by the “Ecumenical working group of Evangelical and Catholic theologians” (“Ökumenischer Arbeitskreis evangelischer und katholischer Theologen”).
The working group, Bätzing claimed at a press conference in March, based its conclusions on “recent theological and especially liturgical insights and the results of previous ecumenical dialogue.”
“It is my personal conviction that what is written there is justifiable,” he added.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-20--Federal judge allows 2 Kansas churches to meet despite governor’s ‘arbitrary’ ban

WICHITA , Kansas , April 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― A federal judge has ruled that two Kansas churches may ignore the state governor ’ s order limiting gatherings of their congregations to ten people , ostensibly because of the coronavirus crisis .
Wichita U.S. District Judge John Broomes ruled that Kansas Governor Laura Kelly ’ s executive order prohibiting more than ten congregants in a church is probably a violation of religious freedom and freedom of speech .
Broomes also signaled that he believed her order was unfairly aimed at religion .
“ Churches and religious activities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential functions for stricter treatment , ” he wrote in his order .
Broomes called Kelly ’ s measures “ arbitrary.
” In her April 7 order , the Democrat governor prohibited “ all private or public mass gatherings , ” meaning any event likely to bring ten people together in the same “ confined or enclosed ” place at the same time .
But while mentioning a number of venues , she laid out details only for church services .
These are inconsistent , allowing for more than ten people to serve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , lay readers , choir or musicians , or liturgists ” as long as they maintain so-called social distancing , but not for more than ten congregants .
Regarding funerals and memorial services , Kelly similarly relaxed the “ only ten ” rule for employees and members of the military , but not for other friends and relatives of the deceased .
The Kansas legislature had initially overturned Kelly ’ s ban , but she appealed to the state ’ s Supreme Court , which sided with her on Holy Saturday .
Kelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ This is not about religion .
This is about a public health crisis.
” According to Politico , “ the lawsuit over church gatherings was filed Thursday by First Baptist Church in Dodge City and Pastor Stephen Ormond and Calvary Baptist Church in Junction City and Pastor Aaron Harris.
” “ The lawsuit said both churches held indoor Easter services with 20 or more members of the congregation present.
” According to Kansas ’ WIBW , Tyson Langhofer with Alliance for Defending Freedom , which represented the churches in the lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ singled out for “ punishment.
” “ Kansas state policy singles out churches for special punishment while allowing others to have greater freedom .
That 's both illogical and unconstitutional , ” he said .
`` The governor can not treat religious groups worse than everybody else , without this temporary restraining order , the state of Kansas is keeping churches from safely gathering .
The governor ’ s order punishes churches who are looking for a safe , responsible way to gather for worship . ''
Topeka , Kansas CBS affiliate WIBW @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision applies only to the two churches named in the lawsuit .
In addition , they must take special care in order to stay open to congregations .
“ The court ruling states that Calvary Baptist Church of Junction City and First Baptist Church of Dodge City must adhere to social distancing and public health protocols in order for their services to continue , ” WIBW stated .
Services were held on Sunday , and one congregant , Scott Prince , told WIBW ’ s reporter that he felt safe .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elder at the door who provided basically a briefing , ” Prince said .
“ He was only allowing people in one at a time , or couples in at one time .
Keeping distance , they had hand sanitizer there .
”

Wichita U.S. District Judge John Broomes signaled that he believed Gov. Kelly's order was unfairly aimed at religion.
Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world: Feed your flock Sign the petition here.
WICHITA, Kansas, April 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― A federal judge has ruled that two Kansas churches may ignore the state governor’s order limiting gatherings of their congregations to ten people, ostensibly because of the coronavirus crisis.
Wichita U.S. District Judge John Broomes ruled that Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s executive order prohibiting more than ten congregants in a church is probably a violation of religious freedom and freedom of speech. Broomes also signaled that he believed her order was unfairly aimed at religion.
“Churches and religious activities appear to have been singled out among essential functions for stricter treatment,” he wrote in his order. Broomes called Kelly’s measures “arbitrary.”
In her April 7 order, the Democrat governor prohibited “all private or public mass gatherings,” meaning any event likely to bring ten people together in the same “confined or enclosed” place at the same time. But while mentioning a number of venues, she laid out details only for church services. These are inconsistent, allowing for more than ten people to serve at a religious service as “preachers, lay readers, choir or musicians, or liturgists” as long as they maintain so-called social distancing, but not for more than ten congregants. Regarding funerals and memorial services, Kelly similarly relaxed the “only ten” rule for employees and members of the military, but not for other friends and relatives of the deceased.
The Kansas legislature had initially overturned Kelly’s ban, but she appealed to the state’s Supreme Court, which sided with her on Holy Saturday.
Kelly responded to Broomes’ order by saying, “This is not about religion. This is about a public health crisis.”
According to Politico, “the lawsuit over church gatherings was filed Thursday by First Baptist Church in Dodge City and Pastor Stephen Ormond and Calvary Baptist Church in Junction City and Pastor Aaron Harris.”
“The lawsuit said both churches held indoor Easter services with 20 or more members of the congregation present.”
According to Kansas’ WIBW, Tyson Langhofer with Alliance for Defending Freedom, which represented the churches in the lawsuit, stated that churches should not be singled out for “punishment.”
“Kansas state policy singles out churches for special punishment while allowing others to have greater freedom. That's both illogical and unconstitutional,” he said.
“The governor can not treat religious groups worse than everybody else, without this temporary restraining order, the state of Kansas is keeping churches from safely gathering. The governor’s order punishes churches who are looking for a safe, responsible way to gather for worship.”
Topeka, Kansas CBS affiliate WIBW reported that the district judge’s decision applies only to the two churches named in the lawsuit. In addition, they must take special care in order to stay open to congregations.
“The court ruling states that Calvary Baptist Church of Junction City and First Baptist Church of Dodge City must adhere to social distancing and public health protocols in order for their services to continue,” WIBW stated.
Services were held on Sunday, and one congregant, Scott Prince, told WIBW’s reporter that he felt safe.
“They were very careful, there was an elder at the door who provided basically a briefing,” Prince said. “He was only allowing people in one at a time, or couples in at one time. Keeping distance, they had hand sanitizer there.”
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lifesitenews--2020-04-20--Federal judge overturns Tennessee’s coronavirus-related ban on abortion

April 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― A federal judge known for favoring left-wing causes blocked a statewide order in Tennessee that halted abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic .
U.S. District Judge Bernard A. Friedman , 76 , the Michigan judge who once knocked down a law banning same-sex “ marriage , ” ruled Friday evening for the continued murder of unborn babies in Tennessee .
In his statement , Friedman referred to the elective surgery as “ time sensitive.
” “ Delaying a woman 's access to abortion even by a matter of days can result in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complex procedure that involves progressively greater health risks , or can result in her losing the right to obtain an abortion altogether.
” Friedman ’ s ruling was immediately appealed by Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III , Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee and other officials .
According to political news website “ The Hill , ” Gov .
Lee “ issued an executive order banning non-emergency healthcare procedures , including abortions , until April 30 to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and preserve personal protective equipment ( PPE ) .
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Class A misdemeanor and potential disciplinary action from the associated medical boards.
” Abortion businesses and their allies , like the World Health Organization , have argued that abortion is “ essential ” during the pandemic .
In 2018 , Friedman dismissed key charges against a doctor accused of female genital mutilation after finding a federal ban on the practice unconstitutional .
The U.S. Congress outlawed female genital mutilation ( FGM ) in 1996 , but Friedman ruled that it didn ’ t have the authority to do so .
He stated that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and outside the purview of the federal government .
In 2014 , Friedman struck down Michigan 's state constitutional marriage protection amendment .
His ruling made Michigan the 21st state to legalize gay “ marriage , ” 11 of them by judicial decree .
Protesting the judicial fiat , the president of the American Family Institute of Michigan , Gary Glenn , said , “ This one political elitist put his own personal views above the will of the people , arrogantly ruling that all 2.7 million voters were ‘ irrational ’ in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment for every child is having both a mother and a father committed to each other and to their children in marriage.
“ Dr. Mark Regnerus , whose conclusions about same-sex `` marriage '' were dismissed in Friedman ’ s ruling , told LifeSiteNews that the judge `` chose to privilege certain scholars as well as research that leaned on self-selected samples . ''

PETITION: Urge state governors to stop abortions during coronavirus crisis Sign the petition here.
April 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― A federal judge known for favoring left-wing causes blocked a statewide order in Tennessee that halted abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. District Judge Bernard A. Friedman, 76, the Michigan judge who once knocked down a law banning same-sex “marriage,” ruled Friday evening for the continued murder of unborn babies in Tennessee.
In his statement, Friedman referred to the elective surgery as “time sensitive.”
“Abortion is a time-sensitive procedure,” he wrote.
“Delaying a woman's access to abortion even by a matter of days can result in her having to undergo a lengthier and more complex procedure that involves progressively greater health risks, or can result in her losing the right to obtain an abortion altogether.”
Friedman’s ruling was immediately appealed by Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and other officials.
According to political news website “The Hill,” Gov. Lee “issued an executive order banning non-emergency healthcare procedures, including abortions, until April 30 to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and preserve personal protective equipment (PPE).”
“Violations could have resulted in a Class A misdemeanor and potential disciplinary action from the associated medical boards.”
Abortion businesses and their allies, like the World Health Organization, have argued that abortion is “essential” during the pandemic.
In 2018, Friedman dismissed key charges against a doctor accused of female genital mutilation after finding a federal ban on the practice unconstitutional. The U.S. Congress outlawed female genital mutilation (FGM) in 1996, but Friedman ruled that it didn’t have the authority to do so. He stated that regulating such practices were a state responsibility and outside the purview of the federal government.
In 2014, Friedman struck down Michigan's state constitutional marriage protection amendment. His ruling made Michigan the 21st state to legalize gay “marriage,” 11 of them by judicial decree.
Protesting the judicial fiat, the president of the American Family Institute of Michigan, Gary Glenn, said, “This one political elitist put his own personal views above the will of the people, arrogantly ruling that all 2.7 million voters were ‘irrational’ in their common sense belief that the ideal environment for every child is having both a mother and a father committed to each other and to their children in marriage.“
Dr. Mark Regnerus, whose conclusions about same-sex “marriage” were dismissed in Friedman’s ruling, told LifeSiteNews that the judge “chose to privilege certain scholars as well as research that leaned on self-selected samples.”
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lifesitenews--2020-04-20--Facebook combats coronavirus ‘misinformation’ by citing pro-China World Health Organization

MENLO PARK , California , April 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― Facebook is directing users who share what it deems “ harmful misinformation ” about COVID-19 to information published by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
However , critics point out that the WHO has published “ harmful misinformation ” itself .
Facebook ’ s new policy was announced Thursday , two days after President Donald Trump suspended American funding for the international foundation .
The president took this action as evidence mounted that the World Health Organization had put the interests of the Communist Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world .
“ American taxpayers provide between $ 400 million and $ 500 million per year to the WHO .
In contrast , China contributes roughly $ 40 million , ” Trump stated on April 14 .
“ As the organization ’ s leading sponsor , the United States has a duty to insist on full accountability .
One of the most dangerous and costly decisions from the WHO was its disastrous decision to oppose travel restrictions from China and other nations.
” Guy Rosen , Facebook ’ s vice president of integrity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO-friendly policy .
“ Ever since COVID-19 was declared a global public health emergency in January , we ’ ve been working to connect people to accurate ( sic ) information from health experts and keep harmful misinformation about COVID-19 from spreading on our apps , ” he wrote .
“ We ’ ve now directed over 2 billion people to resources from the WHO and other health authorities through our COVID-19 Information Center and pop-ups on Facebook and Instagram with over 350 million people clicking through to learn more , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start showing messages in News Feed to people who have liked , reacted or commented on harmful misinformation about COVID-19 that we have since removed .
These messages will connect people to COVID-19 myths debunked by the WHO , including ones we ’ ve removed from our platform for leading to imminent physical harm .
We want to connect people who may have interacted with harmful misinformation about the virus with the truth from authoritative sources in case they see or hear these claims again off of Facebook .
People will start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” But critics of the WHO ’ s performance during the COVID-19 crisis have observed that the WHO is not a good source of information about the coronavirus .
On April 1 , Ross Marchand of the American Taxpayers Alliance described in American Conservative the WHO ’ s inability to stop what was originally a Chinese epidemic from becoming a worldwide catastrophe .
“ From day one , the WHO sat idly by as the Chinese government covered up COVID-19 and facilitated the spread of the disease across the globe .
Despite Beijing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan , China , in November 2019 .
It spread unabated from there , ” Marchand wrote .
When China ’ s cover-up was exposed , the WHO still refused to hold the totalitarian regime to account .
“ Instead , WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hailed President Xi ’ s ‘ political commitment ’ and ‘ political leadership ’ in containing the coronavirus , ” said Marchand .
“ When Dr. Tedros claimed that “ China is actually setting a new standard for outbreak response , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s hardly typical for a country to thoroughly cover up such a deadly disease for such a long time and then refuse to allow in a WHO advance team ( for two weeks ) once the disease becomes apparent , ” he continued .
“ For all of this kowtowing to China , the WHO hasn ’ t even managed to extract dependable disease spread information from local authorities .
On March 24 , the online publication ‘ Our World in Data ’ ( based at the University of Oxford ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unreliable to use for statistical reports on the coronavirus .
The researchers noted , ‘ In published WHO Situation Reports were several inconsistencies in the number of total confirmed cases , and new confirmed cases that we noticed between the WHO Situation Reports and the WHO Dashboard , which also presents these statistics.
’ Even worse , ‘ these errors are not communicated by the WHO itself ’ and require the attention of astute public health researchers to tease out.
” Meanwhile , Facebook ’ s own fact-checkers are suspect .
In March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Steve Mosher suggesting that the Wuhan Institute of Virology ’ s National Biosafety Laboratory , rather than an insanitary Wuhan market , may be responsible for the outbreak of the coronavirus .
One of the “ fact-checkers ” Facebook cited in defense of this decision was Danielle E. Anderson , a virologist at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore who had worked at the Wuhan laboratory at various times in the past two years .
In addition , Facebook has permitted a number of fake news stories about COVID-19 to circulate on its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Breitbart News reported that Facebook allowed the dissemination of a Huffington Post story that erroneously claimed that the U.S. president would profit from the sales of hydroxychloroquine , a potential treatment for the coronavirus Trump praised last month .
Facebook also permitted an erroneous report from ABC News that the president knew about the Wuhan virus as early as November .

Despite President Trump discontinuing U.S. funding to the WHO, Facebook said it has directed more than 2 billion people to WHO and other health entities.
PETITION: Thank President Trump for halting U.S. funding to pro-abortion World Health Organization Sign the petition here.
MENLO PARK, California, April 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― Facebook is directing users who share what it deems “harmful misinformation” about COVID-19 to information published by the World Health Organization (WHO).
However, critics point out that the WHO has published “harmful misinformation” itself.
Facebook’s new policy was announced Thursday, two days after President Donald Trump suspended American funding for the international foundation. The president took this action as evidence mounted that the World Health Organization had put the interests of the Communist Party of China over the health of the world.
“American taxpayers provide between $400 million and $500 million per year to the WHO. In contrast, China contributes roughly $40 million,” Trump stated on April 14.
“As the organization’s leading sponsor, the United States has a duty to insist on full accountability. One of the most dangerous and costly decisions from the WHO was its disastrous decision to oppose travel restrictions from China and other nations.”
Guy Rosen, Facebook’s vice president of integrity, published a blogpost to explain the WHO-friendly policy.
“Ever since COVID-19 was declared a global public health emergency in January, we’ve been working to connect people to accurate (sic) information from health experts and keep harmful misinformation about COVID-19 from spreading on our apps,” he wrote.
“We’ve now directed over 2 billion people to resources from the WHO and other health authorities through our COVID-19 Information Center and pop-ups on Facebook and Instagram with over 350 million people clicking through to learn more,” he continued.
“We’re going to start showing messages in News Feed to people who have liked, reacted or commented on harmful misinformation about COVID-19 that we have since removed. These messages will connect people to COVID-19 myths debunked by the WHO, including ones we’ve removed from our platform for leading to imminent physical harm. We want to connect people who may have interacted with harmful misinformation about the virus with the truth from authoritative sources in case they see or hear these claims again off of Facebook. People will start seeing these messages in the coming weeks.”
But critics of the WHO’s performance during the COVID-19 crisis have observed that the WHO is not a good source of information about the coronavirus.
On April 1, Ross Marchand of the American Taxpayers Alliance described in American Conservative the WHO’s inability to stop what was originally a Chinese epidemic from becoming a worldwide catastrophe.
“From day one, the WHO sat idly by as the Chinese government covered up COVID-19 and facilitated the spread of the disease across the globe. Despite Beijing’s assertions to the contrary, COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China, in November 2019. It spread unabated from there,” Marchand wrote.
When China’s cover-up was exposed, the WHO still refused to hold the totalitarian regime to account.
“Instead, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hailed President Xi’s ‘political commitment’ and ‘political leadership’ in containing the coronavirus,” said Marchand.
“When Dr. Tedros claimed that “China is actually setting a new standard for outbreak response,” he wasn’t kidding. It’s hardly typical for a country to thoroughly cover up such a deadly disease for such a long time and then refuse to allow in a WHO advance team (for two weeks) once the disease becomes apparent,” he continued.
“For all of this kowtowing to China, the WHO hasn’t even managed to extract dependable disease spread information from local authorities. On March 24, the online publication ‘Our World in Data’ (based at the University of Oxford) reported that WHO data is simply too unreliable to use for statistical reports on the coronavirus. The researchers noted, ‘In published WHO Situation Reports were several inconsistencies in the number of total confirmed cases, and new confirmed cases that we noticed between the WHO Situation Reports and the WHO Dashboard, which also presents these statistics.’ Even worse, ‘these errors are not communicated by the WHO itself’ and require the attention of astute public health researchers to tease out.”
Meanwhile, Facebook’s own fact-checkers are suspect. In March, Facebook removed links to an article by Steve Mosher suggesting that the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s National Biosafety Laboratory, rather than an insanitary Wuhan market, may be responsible for the outbreak of the coronavirus. One of the “fact-checkers” Facebook cited in defense of this decision was Danielle E. Anderson, a virologist at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore who had worked at the Wuhan laboratory at various times in the past two years.
In addition, Facebook has permitted a number of fake news stories about COVID-19 to circulate on its platform when they promoted an anti-Trump agenda. Breitbart News reported that Facebook allowed the dissemination of a Huffington Post story that erroneously claimed that the U.S. president would profit from the sales of hydroxychloroquine, a potential treatment for the coronavirus Trump praised last month. Facebook also permitted an erroneous report from ABC News that the president knew about the Wuhan virus as early as November.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-20--‘Jesuit’ university brags about student working in ‘health clinic’ – it was Planned Parenthood

MILWAUKEE , April 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – An ostensibly-Catholic university in Wisconsin is under fire for a since-deleted tweet proudly displaying a student ’ s service at a “ health clinic ” that was actually an abortion facility .
“ Why we stay home , ” reads the Saturday tweet from Marquette University , which has since been deleted but can be seen below via screenshot .
It features a photo of a Marquette graduate “ working with colleagues in a health clinic in downtown Milwaukee , ” plus the hashtags # BeTheDifference and # WeAreMarquette .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing face masks .
At first glance , the tweet seems to imply that the student is helping COVID-19 treatment efforts , but upon closer inspection , a jacket logo identifies the “ health clinic ” as a Planned Parenthood facility : Marquette subsequently deleted the tweet without comment on the conflict between abortion and the school ’ s official religious identity .
Its website claims that a “ Catholic and Jesuit education at Marquette is marked by the active intersection of the Gospel with culture and the intellect , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the whole human family.
” The tweet was met with disgust across social media : “ Christian universities have a unique mission to ensure their students understand and fight for the dignity of the preborn and the sanctity of human life , ” responded Students for Life president Kristan Hawkins .
“ Marquette should be ashamed of itself for promoting Planned Parenthood and for thinking that they should be proud that a student works for the nation ’ s largest abortion vendor.
” Critics say that Marquette has fallen far short of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transgender bathroom demands to suspending a professor for defending a pro-natural-marriage student ’ s speech ( while only lightly punishing students who vandalized a pro-life display ) .
“ I wanted to be a part of a community of learners that pushed boundaries , yet still held the values of the Catholic Church in high regard , ” former Marquette student Zachary Petrizzo wrote in 2018 .
“ After one year at the institution , however , I have discovered that Marquette is anything but a Jesuit and Catholic university .
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone ‘ diversity of thought , ’ and opinions that I support are frequently shut down in the classrooms.
” “ At one point , several professors hung Planned Parenthood signs on their office doors , yet the same administrators who are always quick to warn students against ‘ microaggressions ’ still have not even issued a statement affirming the school ’ s pro-life values , ” Petrizzo lamented .

Marquette University's tweeted photo shows four women, all wearing face masks – implying that the student is helping COVID-19 treatment efforts.
MILWAUKEE, April 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – An ostensibly-Catholic university in Wisconsin is under fire for a since-deleted tweet proudly displaying a student’s service at a “health clinic” that was actually an abortion facility.
“Why we stay home,” reads the Saturday tweet from Marquette University, which has since been deleted but can be seen below via screenshot. It features a photo of a Marquette graduate “working with colleagues in a health clinic in downtown Milwaukee,” plus the hashtags #BeTheDifference and #WeAreMarquette.
The photo shows four women, all wearing face masks. At first glance, the tweet seems to imply that the student is helping COVID-19 treatment efforts, but upon closer inspection, a jacket logo identifies the “health clinic” as a Planned Parenthood facility:
Marquette University removed this from its twitter feed, but thankfully it's been preserved. They were happy that a student is working at a “health clinic” (during Easter week!) that is actually abortion clinic in downtown Milwaukee. We won't forget. An abomination. pic.twitter.com/cyXrepGUtz — Cream City Catholic (@CCityCatholic) April 20, 2020
Marquette subsequently deleted the tweet without comment on the conflict between abortion and the school’s official religious identity. Its website claims that a “Catholic and Jesuit education at Marquette is marked by the active intersection of the Gospel with culture and the intellect, as well as a deep commitment to the well-being of the whole human family.”
The tweet was met with disgust across social media:
Totally disgraceful. Pics in an abortion mill. You have to be really skipping the main courses to be that bad of a Cafeteria Catholic cc:@LSNCatholic @EWTN @LilaGraceRose — sabrecav (@sabrecav) April 20, 2020
To all my MU friends….Marquette University now supporting Planned Parenthood in Milwaukee. Not the Marquette I graduated from. https://t.co/X6DNmMCa09 — Gary Kummer (@GaryKummer) April 20, 2020
I see that Marquette University is praising Planned Parenthood interns and NCR is patting the back of a boomer for ratting out a TLM. I guess the wolves within the Church haven’t been locked down (while the shepherds have been). — Eric Sammons (@EricRSammons) April 20, 2020
Tag line: “Killing babies without getting any on us.” — Bill Hennessy (@HennessySTL) April 20, 2020
“Christian universities have a unique mission to ensure their students understand and fight for the dignity of the preborn and the sanctity of human life,” responded Students for Life president Kristan Hawkins. “Marquette should be ashamed of itself for promoting Planned Parenthood and for thinking that they should be proud that a student works for the nation’s largest abortion vendor.”
Critics say that Marquette has fallen far short of its creed for years, from catering to transgender bathroom demands to suspending a professor for defending a pro-natural-marriage student’s speech (while only lightly punishing students who vandalized a pro-life display).
“I wanted to be a part of a community of learners that pushed boundaries, yet still held the values of the Catholic Church in high regard,” former Marquette student Zachary Petrizzo wrote in 2018. “After one year at the institution, however, I have discovered that Marquette is anything but a Jesuit and Catholic university. There is no acceptance of conservative thoughts, let alone ‘diversity of thought,’ and opinions that I support are frequently shut down in the classrooms.”
“At one point, several professors hung Planned Parenthood signs on their office doors, yet the same administrators who are always quick to warn students against ‘microaggressions’ still have not even issued a statement affirming the school’s pro-life values,” Petrizzo lamented.
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