lifesitenews--2020-04-24--Indiana Republicans demand answers on abortion industry flouting COVID-19 order

INDIANAPOLIS , April 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Indiana lawmakers want to know which abortion facilities have defied the state ’ s emergency suspension of elective abortions and they have sent a letter to the state ’ s top law enforcement official seeking answers .
Late last month , Indiana Gov .
Eric Holcomb issued an executive order suspending “ elective or non-urgent ” procedures at a broad range of medical facilities , including abortion clinics , in accordance with federal health officials ’ recommendations to reschedule non-urgent appointments and elective procedures , both to limit the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time and resources to focus on patients afflicted by COVID-19 .
The abortion lobby rejected , setting the stage for a potential Supreme Court confrontation , though that appears unlikely as states begin lifting their original medical suspensions .
Holcomb announced this week that he was extending the general stay-at-home order until May 1 , but allowing some elective procedures to resume ; the order says the hold on abortions will be re-evaluated every seven days , starting April 26 .
TELL VIMEO : Stop silencing conservatives and Christians !
Sign the petition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican state Rep. Christy Stutzman wrote that a group of her colleagues has signed a letter to state Attorney General Curtis Hill , asking him to look into which abortion facilites complied with the order and which did not .
The letter cited “ reports from people keeping vigil in front of the abortion businesses across the state that a heavier than normal number of women are entering the abortion businesses.
” “ The abortion industry seems to be working contrary to flattening the curve and stopping the spread , ” Stutzman says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of people entering their stores , reports from outside abortion clinics indicate an increased volume of clients.
” Pro-life medical professionals have assailed the abortion industry ’ s demands for special treatment , arguing that exempting elective abortion puts business interests ahead of public health .
The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists ( AAPLOG ) says that while “ elective abortion is neither ‘ essential ’ nor ‘ urgent , ’ ” it “ does consume critical resources such as masks , gloves , and other personal protective equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pathogens.
” “ Elective abortion , both surgical and drug induced , also generates more patients to be seen in already overburdened emergency rooms , ” AAPLOG continued .
“ Most abortion providers instruct women to go to an emergency room if they have any concerning symptoms after the abortion .
Approximately five percent of women who undergo medication abortions will require evaluation in an emergency room , most commonly for hemorrhage .
Surgical abortions can also result in hemorrhage .
Emergency room personnel – who are already struggling to meet the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be further strained to provide care to these women.
” Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews ’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world .

Lawmakers asked the state's attorney general why abortion centers have more business during the suspension of 'elective or non-urgent' surgical procedures.
PETITION: Urge state governors to stop abortions during coronavirus crisis Sign the petition here.
INDIANAPOLIS, April 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Indiana lawmakers want to know which abortion facilities have defied the state’s emergency suspension of elective abortions and they have sent a letter to the state’s top law enforcement official seeking answers.
Late last month, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued an executive order suspending “elective or non-urgent” procedures at a broad range of medical facilities, including abortion clinics, in accordance with federal health officials’ recommendations to reschedule non-urgent appointments and elective procedures, both to limit the spread of the coronavirus and to free up time and resources to focus on patients afflicted by COVID-19.
The abortion lobby rejected, setting the stage for a potential Supreme Court confrontation, though that appears unlikely as states begin lifting their original medical suspensions. Holcomb announced this week that he was extending the general stay-at-home order until May 1, but allowing some elective procedures to resume; the order says the hold on abortions will be re-evaluated every seven days, starting April 26.
In the meantime, Indiana Republican state Rep. Christy Stutzman wrote that a group of her colleagues has signed a letter to state Attorney General Curtis Hill, asking him to look into which abortion facilites complied with the order and which did not. The letter cited “reports from people keeping vigil in front of the abortion businesses across the state that a heavier than normal number of women are entering the abortion businesses.”
“The abortion industry seems to be working contrary to flattening the curve and stopping the spread,” Stutzman says. “While many businesses have limited the number of people entering their stores, reports from outside abortion clinics indicate an increased volume of clients.”
Pro-life medical professionals have assailed the abortion industry’s demands for special treatment, arguing that exempting elective abortion puts business interests ahead of public health.
The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) says that while “elective abortion is neither ‘essential’ nor ‘urgent,’” it “does consume critical resources such as masks, gloves, and other personal protective equipment, and unnecessarily exposes patients and physicians to pathogens.”
“Elective abortion, both surgical and drug induced, also generates more patients to be seen in already overburdened emergency rooms,” AAPLOG continued. “Most abortion providers instruct women to go to an emergency room if they have any concerning symptoms after the abortion. Approximately five percent of women who undergo medication abortions will require evaluation in an emergency room, most commonly for hemorrhage. Surgical abortions can also result in hemorrhage. Emergency room personnel – who are already struggling to meet the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic – will be further strained to provide care to these women.”
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-24--How porn industry uses Disney characters, innocent-looking pop-up adds to get your kids

April 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Over and over again , I ’ ve had parents tell me that their children would never search for pornography online .
Teenagers ?
Maybe .
Children ?
No .
They are simply too innocent .
They aren ’ t thinking about sexual things yet .
They haven ’ t been exposed to material that would pique their interest in sexual matters yet , and thus children can be children and there is no need to mar their innocence by broaching topics like porn .
Many mothers and fathers strive to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by innocence , and one in which they can simply enjoy the simple things in life without having their small minds clouded with information about the omnipresent digital content that is not adult so much as evil .
But it is essential that parents realize something : Your children may not be looking for pornography .
But the porn industry is most certainly looking for your kids .
Many parents are under the mistaken belief that so long as kids are not looking for porn , or so long as the Internet in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe .
It might surprise them to know that most children stumble across porn first by accident .
I ’ ve heard that same story hundreds of times while speaking to young audiences about porn , and a recent study confirmed not only that many children first see porn by accident , but that the vast majority of those wished they had not seen it .
This is not about whether your children have a desire to see porn .
It is about whether they will see it anyways .
In fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predatory companies like PornHub have actually taken to tagging hardcore porn videos with the names of children ’ s cartoon characters like “ Dora the Explorer ” or “ Paw Patrol ” so that children searching the Internet for innocent subjects will end up on their websites filled with degradation and rape .
The earlier children get addicted , the more porn they ’ ll watch—and the more porn they ’ ll watch , the better it is for companies like PornHub .
Their bank accounts bulge with stolen innocence .
They even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instagram account shared an image of Baby Yoda with the PornHub logo reflected in his pupils with the phrase “ 10 seconds after my parents leave the house.
” PornHub not only does not verify age or consent , and they not only do nothing to keep children away from their vile material—they actively joke about the fact that children are also targeted customers .
Exodus Cry , which has been running a brilliant campaign exposing PornHub ’ s complicity in rape , sex trafficking , and exploitation , explained how PornHub preys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even have a click-through warning button , asking the visitor if they are at least 18 years old .
Why ?
Age is nothing but a number to Pornhub .
The organization hunts on popular social media outlets like Tik Tok , Twitch , Snapchat , Periscope , and so many others—using models and videos as bait to lure innocent kids into their sadistic clutches .
Some of these sites and apps have inadequate protections for scrolling kids or lack restrictions on predatory practices .
Then there are the categories .
In 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top search terms on the site , along with “ cartoon , ” “ revenge , ” and many more .
Make no mistake , Pornhub is setting and exploiting the sexual appetites of young kids and minors .
And again , it gets worse .
Collective Shout and Exodus Cry revealed that in addition to hosting videos of rape , child sexual abuse , and sex trafficking ( and consider for a moment the fact that people go onto this platform for sexual satisfaction ) , PornHub has a collection of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ featuring children ’ s favourite Disney characters in hardcore porn sex acts including multiple penetrations , BDSM , and what appears to be gang rape.
” Figures like Rapunzel from Tangled are shown bound and gagged , with other children ’ s favourites being abused and violated .
Children ’ s cartoon characters .
WATCH : Interview with Protect Young Minds explaining how to talk to kids about porn Porn sites also place popup ads on Internet gaming sites frequented by children and young teens .
I ’ ve often asked audiences of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of them have played an Internet game—and how many of them have been exposed to an explicit popup while doing so .
In answer to both questions , nearly every hand goes up .
As children become more and more frequent Internet users , the porn industry is utilizing the time they spend online to lure them onto porn sites .
Once they are there , their innocence can be destroyed , and they can be hooked .
This is the story of nearly an entire generation .
I write all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , please monitor any time your children spend online .
Please talk to them about pornography in an age-appropriate way .
Millions of children have been exposed to porn without their parents ’ desire or consent , and many parents are ignorant of the fact that their children have already been exposed to this material .
It is an ugly and awful fact of the culture we now live in that discussions which were unnecessary a few decades ago are absolutely necessary now .
Yes , they are .

'Your children may not be looking for pornography. But the porn industry is most certainly looking for your kids.'
PETITION: Authorities must shut down Pornhub after showing videos of 15-year-old trafficking victim Sign the petition here.
April 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Over and over again, I’ve had parents tell me that their children would never search for pornography online. Teenagers? Maybe. Children? No. They are simply too innocent. They aren’t thinking about sexual things yet. They haven’t been exposed to material that would pique their interest in sexual matters yet, and thus children can be children and there is no need to mar their innocence by broaching topics like porn.
I believe those parents.
Many mothers and fathers strive to give their sons and daughters a childhood defined by innocence, and one in which they can simply enjoy the simple things in life without having their small minds clouded with information about the omnipresent digital content that is not adult so much as evil.
But it is essential that parents realize something: Your children may not be looking for pornography. But the porn industry is most certainly looking for your kids.
Many parents are under the mistaken belief that so long as kids are not looking for porn, or so long as the Internet in the home is filtered, everything is safe. It might surprise them to know that most children stumble across porn first by accident. I’ve heard that same story hundreds of times while speaking to young audiences about porn, and a recent study confirmed not only that many children first see porn by accident, but that the vast majority of those wished they had not seen it. This is not about whether your children have a desire to see porn. It is about whether they will see it anyways.
In fact, as I’ve noted before, predatory companies like PornHub have actually taken to tagging hardcore porn videos with the names of children’s cartoon characters like “Dora the Explorer” or “Paw Patrol” so that children searching the Internet for innocent subjects will end up on their websites filled with degradation and rape. The earlier children get addicted, the more porn they’ll watch—and the more porn they’ll watch, the better it is for companies like PornHub. Their bank accounts bulge with stolen innocence.
Follow Jonathon van Maren on Facebook
They even joke about it: PornHub’s Instagram account shared an image of Baby Yoda with the PornHub logo reflected in his pupils with the phrase “10 seconds after my parents leave the house.” PornHub not only does not verify age or consent, and they not only do nothing to keep children away from their vile material—they actively joke about the fact that children are also targeted customers.
Exodus Cry, which has been running a brilliant campaign exposing PornHub’s complicity in rape, sex trafficking, and exploitation, explained how PornHub preys on children:
Pornhub doesn’t even have a click-through warning button, asking the visitor if they are at least 18 years old. Why? Age is nothing but a number to Pornhub. The organization hunts on popular social media outlets like Tik Tok, Twitch, Snapchat, Periscope, and so many others—using models and videos as bait to lure innocent kids into their sadistic clutches. Some of these sites and apps have inadequate protections for scrolling kids or lack restrictions on predatory practices. Then there are the categories. In 2019, “teen” was one of the top search terms on the site, along with “cartoon,” “revenge,” and many more. Make no mistake, Pornhub is setting and exploiting the sexual appetites of young kids and minors.
And again, it gets worse. Collective Shout and Exodus Cry revealed that in addition to hosting videos of rape, child sexual abuse, and sex trafficking (and consider for a moment the fact that people go onto this platform for sexual satisfaction), PornHub has a collection of “Disney cartoon porn—virtual or animated content featuring children’s favourite Disney characters in hardcore porn sex acts including multiple penetrations, BDSM, and what appears to be gang rape.” Figures like Rapunzel from Tangled are shown bound and gagged, with other children’s favourites being abused and violated. Children’s cartoon characters.
WATCH: Interview with Protect Young Minds explaining how to talk to kids about porn
Porn sites also place popup ads on Internet gaming sites frequented by children and young teens. I’ve often asked audiences of kids I’m speaking with how many of them have played an Internet game—and how many of them have been exposed to an explicit popup while doing so. In answer to both questions, nearly every hand goes up. As children become more and more frequent Internet users, the porn industry is utilizing the time they spend online to lure them onto porn sites. Once they are there, their innocence can be destroyed, and they can be hooked. This is the story of nearly an entire generation.
I write all of this to plead with parents: Please, please monitor any time your children spend online. Please talk to them about pornography in an age-appropriate way. Millions of children have been exposed to porn without their parents’ desire or consent, and many parents are ignorant of the fact that their children have already been exposed to this material.
It is an ugly and awful fact of the culture we now live in that discussions which were unnecessary a few decades ago are absolutely necessary now. Yes, they are.
Jonathon’s new podcast, The Van Maren Show, is dedicated to telling the stories of the pro-life and pro-family movement. In his latest episode, Marvin Olasky, editor-in-chief of WORLD magazine and author of pro-life books, discusses the true history of the pro-life movement and what it can teach us about winning the culture war. Olasky points to the long history of abortion before Roe v. Wade to highlight the fact that fighting abortion on a strictly legal front will only get us so far since it is truly a cultural issue. You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below:
Follow Jonathon Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker, writer, and pro-life activist. His commentary has been translated into more than eight languages and published widely online as well as print newspapers such as the Jewish Independent, the National Post, the Hamilton Spectator and others. He has received an award for combating anti-Semitism in print from the Jewish organization B’nai Brith. His commentary has been featured on CTV Primetime, Global News, EWTN, and the CBC as well as dozens of radio stations and news outlets in Canada and the United States. He speaks on a wide variety of cultural topics across North America at universities, high schools, churches, and other functions. Some of these topics include abortion, pornography, the Sexual Revolution, and euthanasia. Jonathon holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history from Simon Fraser University, and is the communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform. Jonathon’s first book, The Culture War, was released in 2016.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-24--Trump is the best choice for Catholic voters in 2020: Catholic apologist

John-Henry interviews some of the most well-known clergy and laity in the Church while offering commentary on the most important @ @ @ @ @ around the world .

Catholic apologist Jesse Romero has just written a book arguing that Catholics should vote for President Trump in the 2020 elections. “A Catholic Vote for Trump: The Only Choice in 2020 for Republicans, Democrats, and Independents Alike.”
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lifesitenews--2020-04-24--Pope Francis surveys bishops worldwide on Traditional Latin Mass

April 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – An leaked letter allegedly sent by the Vatican 's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to the presidents of bishops ' conferences inquiring about the experience with Pope Benedict XVI 's allowance of the traditional Latin Mass ( Summorum Pontificum ) has caused a stir in some traditionally-minded Catholic circles .
Fears abound that the result of the survey could be a restriction of the Latin Mass .
The traditional Catholic website Rorate Caeli published yesterday a letter dated March 7 , 2020 , with the name of Cardinal Luis Ladaria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Doctrine of the Faith ( CDF ) , on it .
The letter addresses the presidents of the bishops ' conferences and includes a set of questions to bishops whose due date for a reply is July 31 , 2020 .
The letter relates to the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum which , in July of 2007 , gave wide permission for the traditional Latin Mass , which every priest was now allowed to celebrate without explicit permission by his bishop and which was to be offered in every diocese where there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Since 2007 , the number of faithful , especially young families , attending that form of the Roman Rite has increased in large numbers .
LifeSite has reached out to the U.S. Bishops ' Conference ( USCCB ) and to the Vatican Press Office , as well as different other sources in the Vatican and the world , in order to receive confirmation of the authenticity of this letter .
No response has been provided .
The letter states that “ thirteen years after the publication of the Motu Proprio Summorum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His Holiness Pope Francis wishes to be informed about the current application of the aforementioned document.
” Since the CDF has now been “ entrusted ” with the matters relating to the Ecclesia Dei commission ( dealing with communities who are celebrating the traditional Latin Mass ) , the letter continues , it is now asking the presidents of the bishops ' conferences to distribute a questionnaire to all of their bishops .
The attached questionnaire is asking the bishops to say how the situation is with regard to the traditional Latin Mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it “ corresponds to a true pastoral need ” or whether “ it is promoted by a single priest.
” The questionnaire also wants to know whether there are “ positive or negative aspects ” of the “ extraordinary form ” of the Mass , as the traditional Latin Mass has been called by Pope Benedict XVI .
The CDF also wants to know whether other Sacraments are being administered in the traditional form , whether the seminarians are being influenced by it , and whether the Roman Missal of the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rite .
The ninth question reads : “ Thirteen years after the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum , what is your advice about the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite ?
” Rorate Caeli , which is being read widely by traditional Catholics , comments on this letter and questionnaire : “ It could be ominous .
The questions seem neutral , but , once one reads them carefully , they may indicate serious consequences.
” Speculations abound now as to what the purpose of this CDF inquiry is .
The British Catholic journalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not an explicitly traditional Catholic , states about this new letter on twitter : “ If Francis tries to revoke or weaken Summorum Pontificum , then there will be war .
A holy war .
And he won ’ t win it.
” Dr. Peter Kwasniewski , a traditional Catholic and expert in liturgical questions , told LifeSite that the survey is a “ veiled attack on Summorum Pontificum.
” “ All you have to do is look at the nature and tone of the questions .
It ’ s as if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boise and then revised by a committee from the USCCB , all exercising maximum self-control , ” he said .
Kwasniewski expects that “ there will be a strong minority of very favorable responses to the questionnaire , and this could put the brakes on an extreme 'crackdown . '
The largest number of positive responses will come from the USA , which , unfortunately , will not be an advantage in the sight of the present anti-American Vatican regime.
” Dr. Kwasniewski expects that there will also be a “ minority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the pope , if he wanted , could side with that faction , as he has sided with minority progressive factions at recent synods.
” The majority of bishops , the scholar thinks , will be more or less “ anemic ” in their response , such as “ we don ’ t have much of a pastoral need for it ” and “ it exists in one small place at 2pm on alternating Sundays and no one has complained about it ” and “ the three seminarians ( possibly two ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diocese are more interested in providing pastoral care for a diverse People of God than in spending time on a cultural hobby.
” However , whatever the intentions of this CDF letter , according to Kwasniewski , there is no reason to be “ nervous ” about it .
“ If Summorum were negated , ” he writes , “ it would not change one bit the logic of Benedict XVI ’ s argument , which is based on natural and divine law , not on ecclesiastical law : 'What earlier generations held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for us too , and it can not be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful . '
Nota bene : not 'SHOULD not be forbidden , ' but ' CAN NOT be forbidden . '
” In case of an interdict of the traditional Latin Mass on the part of Rome , Dr. Kwasniewski would expect that some clergy would “ continue celebrating it – perhaps , in some cases , going underground – as they would recognize that the Holy See had overstepped its competence.
” Professor Brian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic newspaper Catholic Family News , told LifeSite that , “ given the recent tinkering with the Traditional Latin Mass ( addition of New Mass Saints and Prefaces ) I can not help but be suspicious that there may be a nefarious motive behind these questions [ as sent out by the CDF ] .
” He compares the methods of Pope Francis with that of a “ revolutionary dictatorship.
” “ A common technique of revolutionary dictatorships , ” McCall explains , “ is to gather data and then selectively use it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible that this survey will be revealed to be a prelude to rescinding or severely restricting the legal guarantees of Summorum Pontificum .
We know from public statements that Pope Francis bears no love for the Traditional Mass and the millions of laity and clergy attached to it.
” Giuseppe Nardi , the editor-in-chief of the traditional Catholic website Katholisches.info , told LifeSite that the questions of the questionnaire seem to him “ neutral.
” “ It is about a verification , ” he explains and add that “ Rome is making an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Proprio , in a systematic , comparable manner on a world-wide scale.
” The results of this questionnaire , according to Nardi , could be used either in a positive or negative manner .
Looking at question five – which asks whether elements of the traditional rite have been included into the ordinary form of the Roman Rite but which finally also remains “ neutral ” – he would be worried because it is this aspect of “ mutual enrichment ” that shines through .
He hopes for more clarification in the future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A senior source in the Vatican also told LifeSite that he does not consider the CDF letter to be “ dangerous.
” It is known that Pope Francis has not much sympathy for the traditional Latin Mass .
Already in 2017 , LifeSite reported on different sources indicating that Pope Francis was considering to do away with Summorum Pontificum , but that he was perhaps to wait until Pope Benedict XVI had died .
LifeSite then reported that Andrea Grillo , a lay professor at the Pontifical Athenaeum of St Anselmo in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ La Croix as “ close to the Pope , ” told La Croix that Francis is considering abolishing Summorum Pontificum .
`` But [ Francis ] will not do this as long as Benedict XVI is alive , ” he added .
Two different sources , a bishop and a priest – both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity – told LifeSite that they are not too much alarmed by this new March 7 CDF letter .
The bishop who has experience with the traditional Mass and with the communities who celebrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CDF “ does not need to be necessarily alarming.
” He considers it to be “ reasonable ” to make such an assessment of the current situation .
“ Since the traditional Mass has been spreading considerably since 2007 , the result [ of this questionnaire ] can also be impressive for the responsible people in the Vatican , ” the prelate adds .
At the least , “ it could show them that one can not easily limit or abrogate Summorum Pontificum.
” He also sees it positive , that one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ norms of Summorum Pontificum are being respected .
“ Indeed , ” the bishop explains , “ some bishops openly ignore them.
” “ In itself , I do not see a danger here , let us hope that this questionnaire finally will be of help for the growth of the traditional Mass , ” he concludes .
A priest who regularly celebrates the traditional Mass told LifeSite that he sees a link between this March 7 letter and the decrees Quo magis and Cum sanctissima of March 25 which have been dealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” by adding new feast days to its calendar and by adding five new prefaces .
This decision on the part of the Vatican , the priestly source explains , had caused among “ Modernists , such as Andrea Grillo , strong indignation , because it made clear that the Holy See does not consider the old rite as being outdated.
” If one truly intended to limit the use of the traditional rite , this priest states , then it would seem “ notable ” that they make such decrees .

'It could be ominous. The questions seem neutral, but, once one reads them carefully, they may indicate serious consequences'
Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world: Feed your flock Sign the petition here.
April 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – An leaked letter allegedly sent by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to the presidents of bishops' conferences inquiring about the experience with Pope Benedict XVI's allowance of the traditional Latin Mass (Summorum Pontificum) has caused a stir in some traditionally-minded Catholic circles. Fears abound that the result of the survey could be a restriction of the Latin Mass.
The traditional Catholic website Rorate Caeli published yesterday a letter dated March 7, 2020, with the name of Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer, the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), on it. The letter addresses the presidents of the bishops' conferences and includes a set of questions to bishops whose due date for a reply is July 31, 2020.
The letter relates to the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum which, in July of 2007, gave wide permission for the traditional Latin Mass, which every priest was now allowed to celebrate without explicit permission by his bishop and which was to be offered in every diocese where there was a sufficient amount of faithful requesting it. Since 2007, the number of faithful, especially young families, attending that form of the Roman Rite has increased in large numbers.
LifeSite has reached out to the U.S. Bishops' Conference (USCCB) and to the Vatican Press Office, as well as different other sources in the Vatican and the world, in order to receive confirmation of the authenticity of this letter. No response has been provided.
The letter states that “thirteen years after the publication of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum issued by Pope Benedict XVI, His Holiness Pope Francis wishes to be informed about the current application of the aforementioned document.” Since the CDF has now been “entrusted” with the matters relating to the Ecclesia Dei commission (dealing with communities who are celebrating the traditional Latin Mass), the letter continues, it is now asking the presidents of the bishops' conferences to distribute a questionnaire to all of their bishops.
The attached questionnaire is asking the bishops to say how the situation is with regard to the traditional Latin Mass in their diocese; whether the practice of it “corresponds to a true pastoral need” or whether “it is promoted by a single priest.”
The questionnaire also wants to know whether there are “positive or negative aspects” of the “extraordinary form” of the Mass, as the traditional Latin Mass has been called by Pope Benedict XVI. The CDF also wants to know whether other Sacraments are being administered in the traditional form, whether the seminarians are being influenced by it, and whether the Roman Missal of the year 1962 has been in use in this rite. The ninth question reads: “Thirteen years after the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, what is your advice about the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite?”
Rorate Caeli, which is being read widely by traditional Catholics, comments on this letter and questionnaire: “It could be ominous. The questions seem neutral, but, once one reads them carefully, they may indicate serious consequences.”
Speculations abound now as to what the purpose of this CDF inquiry is.
The British Catholic journalist and commentator Damian Thompson, who is not an explicitly traditional Catholic, states about this new letter on twitter: “If Francis tries to revoke or weaken Summorum Pontificum, then there will be war. A holy war. And he won’t win it.”
Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, a traditional Catholic and expert in liturgical questions, told LifeSite that the survey is a “veiled attack on Summorum Pontificum.”
“All you have to do is look at the nature and tone of the questions. It’s as if the memo were drafted by the Bishop of Boise and then revised by a committee from the USCCB, all exercising maximum self-control,” he said.
Kwasniewski expects that “there will be a strong minority of very favorable responses to the questionnaire, and this could put the brakes on an extreme 'crackdown.' The largest number of positive responses will come from the USA, which, unfortunately, will not be an advantage in the sight of the present anti-American Vatican regime.”
Dr. Kwasniewski expects that there will also be a “minority of extremely negative responses,” and that “the pope, if he wanted, could side with that faction, as he has sided with minority progressive factions at recent synods.”
The majority of bishops, the scholar thinks, will be more or less “anemic” in their response, such as “we don’t have much of a pastoral need for it” and “it exists in one small place at 2pm on alternating Sundays and no one has complained about it” and “the three seminarians (possibly two; it depends) currently studying for the diocese are more interested in providing pastoral care for a diverse People of God than in spending time on a cultural hobby.”
However, whatever the intentions of this CDF letter, according to Kwasniewski, there is no reason to be “nervous” about it. “If Summorum were negated,” he writes, “it would not change one bit the logic of Benedict XVI’s argument, which is based on natural and divine law, not on ecclesiastical law: 'What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful.' Nota bene: not 'SHOULD not be forbidden,' but 'CANNOT be forbidden.'”
In case of an interdict of the traditional Latin Mass on the part of Rome, Dr. Kwasniewski would expect that some clergy would “continue celebrating it – perhaps, in some cases, going underground – as they would recognize that the Holy See had overstepped its competence.”
Professor Brian McCall, the Editor-in-Chief of the traditional Catholic newspaper Catholic Family News, told LifeSite that, “given the recent tinkering with the Traditional Latin Mass (addition of New Mass Saints and Prefaces) I cannot help but be suspicious that there may be a nefarious motive behind these questions [as sent out by the CDF].”
He compares the methods of Pope Francis with that of a “revolutionary dictatorship.”
“A common technique of revolutionary dictatorships,” McCall explains, “is to gather data and then selectively use it to justify repression. It is therefore possible that this survey will be revealed to be a prelude to rescinding or severely restricting the legal guarantees of Summorum Pontificum. We know from public statements that Pope Francis bears no love for the Traditional Mass and the millions of laity and clergy attached to it.”
Giuseppe Nardi, the editor-in-chief of the traditional Catholic website Katholisches.info, told LifeSite that the questions of the questionnaire seem to him “neutral.” “It is about a verification,” he explains and add that “Rome is making an assessment of the situation concerning the Motu Proprio, in a systematic, comparable manner on a world-wide scale.”
The results of this questionnaire, according to Nardi, could be used either in a positive or negative manner. Looking at question five – which asks whether elements of the traditional rite have been included into the ordinary form of the Roman Rite but which finally also remains “neutral” – he would be worried because it is this aspect of “mutual enrichment” that shines through. He hopes for more clarification in the future days, thus forestalling too much speculation.
A senior source in the Vatican also told LifeSite that he does not consider the CDF letter to be “dangerous.”
It is known that Pope Francis has not much sympathy for the traditional Latin Mass.
Already in 2017, LifeSite reported on different sources indicating that Pope Francis was considering to do away with Summorum Pontificum, but that he was perhaps to wait until Pope Benedict XVI had died. LifeSite then reported that Andrea Grillo, a lay professor at the Pontifical Athenaeum of St Anselmo in Rome, characterized by the French newspaper La Croix as “close to the Pope,” told La Croix that Francis is considering abolishing Summorum Pontificum. “But [Francis] will not do this as long as Benedict XVI is alive,” he added.
Two different sources, a bishop and a priest – both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity – told LifeSite that they are not too much alarmed by this new March 7 CDF letter.
The bishop who has experience with the traditional Mass and with the communities who celebrate this rite says that this questionnaire from the CDF “does not need to be necessarily alarming.” He considers it to be “reasonable” to make such an assessment of the current situation. “Since the traditional Mass has been spreading considerably since 2007, the result [of this questionnaire] can also be impressive for the responsible people in the Vatican,” the prelate adds. At the least, “it could show them that one cannot easily limit or abrogate Summorum Pontificum.” He also sees it positive, that one question is about whether or not the norms of Summorum Pontificum are being respected. “Indeed,” the bishop explains, “some bishops openly ignore them.”
“In itself, I do not see a danger here, let us hope that this questionnaire finally will be of help for the growth of the traditional Mass,” he concludes.
A priest who regularly celebrates the traditional Mass told LifeSite that he sees a link between this March 7 letter and the decrees Quo magis and Cum sanctissima of March 25 which have been dealing with the traditional rite “in detail” by adding new feast days to its calendar and by adding five new prefaces. This decision on the part of the Vatican, the priestly source explains, had caused among “Modernists, such as Andrea Grillo, strong indignation, because it made clear that the Holy See does not consider the old rite as being outdated.”
If one truly intended to limit the use of the traditional rite, this priest states, then it would seem “notable” that they make such decrees.
Follow Maike Dr. Maike Hickson was born and raised in Germany. She holds a PhD from the University of Hannover, Germany, after having written in Switzerland her doctoral dissertation on the history of Swiss intellectuals before and during World War II. She now lives in the U.S. and is married to Dr. Robert Hickson, and they have been blessed with two beautiful children. She is a happy housewife who likes to write articles when time permits. Dr. Hickson published in 2014 a Festschrift, a collection of some thirty essays written by thoughtful authors in honor of her husband upon his 70th birthday, which is entitled A Catholic Witness in Our Time. Hickson has closely followed the papacy of Pope Francis and the developments in the Catholic Church in Germany, and she has been writing articles on religion and politics for U.S. and European publications and websites such as LifeSiteNews, OnePeterFive, The Wanderer, Rorate Caeli, Catholicism.org, Catholic Family News, Christian Order, Notizie Pro-Vita, Corrispondenza Romana, Katholisches.info, Der Dreizehnte, Zeit-Fragen, and Westfalen-Blatt.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-24--Priest-blogger on sex-abuse cover-up resists bishop’s order to leave parishes

MARTINSVILLE , Virginia , April 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A priest whose bishop removed him from his pastoral duties at two rural parishes ostensibly due to blog entries critical of the Church ’ s handling of the clergy sex scandal has insisted on remaining at his post until established Church law has run its course .
After Archbishop Viganò published his testimony about Pope-Francis covering-up for sex-abuser McCarrick in August , 2018 , Fr .
Mark White of the Diocese of Richmond , Virginia began using his blog to spotlight the ineffectiveness of the Church in dealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regarding the Church ’ s handling of the McCarrick revelations .
He was , at times , critical of Pope Francis , and sometimes used infelicitous language when pointing out the incompetence as well as the cover-up he witnessed in the Church ’ s hierarchy .
Richmond Bishop Barry Knestout ordered Fr .
White to shut down his blog in November 2019 , and White obliged .
When the coronavirus pandemic brought an end to public Masses and sacramental life in general last month , Fr .
White sought permission from Bishop Knestout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of staying in touch with parishioners who were now isolated from the sacraments and from each other .
I wrote “ to the bishop … with my canonical arguments and asked that , especially considering the imminent need we priests will have to communicate over the internet , he formally remove his threat to remove me if I publish my blog , ” White said at the time .
After receiving no response from Knestout , White , in what amounts to defiance of his bishop ’ s standing order , went ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to share his homilies and past musings on current events such as the untimely death of basketball great , Kobe Bryant .
His action ultimately prompted Knestout to inform him on Easter Monday that he was being removed as pastor of both Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Rocky Mount and Saint Joseph ’ s in Martinsville and reassigned as a prison chaplain , necessitating a move two hours away .
At that point , working in conjunction with his canon lawyer , Fr .
White asserted his right to ask his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a pastor as prescribed in canon law .
A bishop can not remove a pastor “ without following a detailed and non-negotiable process defined by canon law , ” according to a 2018 article by Catholic News Agency editors , J.D .
Flynn and Ed Condon , both of whom are canon lawyers .
“ During this whole process , the bishop can neither remove the pastor nor appoint a replacement , ” they wrote .
“ I don ’ t intend to go anywhere until the canonical process has run its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local newspaper , the Martinsville Bulletin , on Easter Monday evening .
“ As a sitting pastor , I have the right to recourse before being removed.
” Following his appeal to the bishop to follow canonical guidelines , Fr .
White and parishioners were surprised when Episcopal Vicar Fr .
Kevin Segerblom ––who had been delegated to temporarily oversee the Martinsville and Rocky Mount parishes–– showed up at St. Francis of Assisi parish on Saturday a little while before a live-streamed Mass was about to begin , informing him that he , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not long before Mass was to begin , Bishop Knestout also showed up to concelebrate with Segerblom .
In the end , all three concelebrated the Mass performed before a smartphone and broadcast via Facebook .
The Mass can be viewed here .
“ Father White and I are at odds , ” Bishop Knestout said during his homily .
“ What is this about ?
” he asked rhetorically .
“ Some say it ’ s about the abuse scandal , and my desire to tamp it down , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe that ’ s the case.
” “ I believe it ’ s about communion , ” he declared , “ about a communion that needs to and should be established and exist between any bishop and priests.
” Knestout went on to recount that while he was vicar general in the Archdiocese of Washington where Fr .
White was ordained , and later as Bishop of Richmond , the two had a history of friction where “ injuries occurred.
” As such , he suggested that the ongoing drama might be based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never really dealt with.
” Bishop Knestout ’ s message did not sit well with some of Fr .
White ’ s parishioners .
The next day , at St. Joseph ’ s where he was preparing for a live-stream Sunday Mass , dozens of cars converged in the parking lot ––horns honking and many sporting homemade signs–– as a show of support for Fr .
White .
LifeSiteNews reported on the long and complex drama between Bishop Knestout and Fr .
White up and until mid-February in a February 20 article titled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delete blog criticizing Church ’ s sex abuse cover-up.
” Since then , tensions have escalated and show no signs of abating in the foreseeable future .
In late March , both Bishop Knestout and Fr .
White published letters addressing the situation from their own perspectives .
“ For months , you may have read his written public communications or his words within the secular media , ” began Bishop Knestout ’ s March 19 letter , sent to the members of Fr .
Mark White ’ s two parishes and also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspaper .
“ For months , I have chosen to remain silent in the hopes of remedying the situation internally .
But , relying on the Holy Spirit , I feel a pressing need to address my concerns with you as members of this diocese entrusted to my care.
” For more than a year , in fact since the fall of 2018 , in my judgment Father Mark White has worked against the unity of the Church , promoted disrespect for the Holy Father , the Church hierarchy , his bishop , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obedience to the bishop of his diocese , which he took an oath to uphold at his ordination .
This has occurred on his website through a series of blog posts under the general heading of “ the McCarrick case , the PA Grand Jury Report , the February 2019 Vatican Meeting , and the Scandal in general ” beginning ( according to Father White ’ s own index ) from Nov. 17 , 2018 to Oct. 3 , 2019 .
Numerous efforts urging Father White to refrain from inflammatory comments or “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his attempt to publicly ridicule or embarrass his bishop .
( See , for example , Sept. 20 , 2018 and Nov. 13 , 2019 now republished on his website in direct contradiction to my instruction to him of Nov. 21 , 2019 ) .
In following Father White ’ s blog postings , if one only considers headlines , for example — “ Pope Francis a Heretic ” [ May 3 , 2019 ] ; or “ The Opaque ‘ Transparency ’ of the Richmond Diocese ” [ Jan. 31 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Lying Cowards ” [ May 24 , 2019 ] — it is clear Father White is publishing headlines that shock and sensationalize in order to draw attention .
As is evident simply from the dates given in Father White ’ s own index , my efforts to speak to him or dissuade him from the inflammatory and contemptuous comments have been proven fruitless as seen in a few of the following quotations from the same blog : Feb. 21 , 2019 : “ I despise everyone in the pope ’ s Roman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ bold print in the original ] ; Feb. 25 , 2019 [ headline ] : “ Count the Holy See among the abusers ” ; [ after McCarrick ’ s dismissal ] : “ So , if the reigning pope had any real integrity as an honest judge , he would have recused himself altogether from the McCarrick case ” [ … ] ” these days dangerous , dishonest Mafiosi run the one , true Church of Jesus Christ ” [ bold text in the original ] .
Fr .
White sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his two parishes , responding to what Knestout had said a few days earlier .
“ I want you to know that I wrote Bishop Knestout six days before his letter to you .
In my letter to him , I discussed the state of affairs with my weblog .
He received my letter that day , Friday , March 13 .
He has yet to respond to my letter , or even acknowledge it , ” wrote White .
“ Second , there is a significant factual inaccuracy in the bishop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writes that he invited me ‘ to meet with him privately , ’ yet each time I ‘ refused or demurred , ’ ” asserted White .
“ This is not true.
” Fr .
White went on to challenge Bishop Knestout ’ s recounting of the interactions between the two : In early September of 2018 , the bishop ordered me to remove a post from my blog , and I complied .
That led to a written dialogue , which you can read at https : //frmarkdwhite.wordpress.com/bishop-knestout-letter-to-parishioners/ .
On September 22 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , suggesting that we meet at the upcoming annual priests ’ convocation to discuss his concerns .
( I have my e-mail to him in my computer archive . )
He never replied .
At the convocation , he announced that his appointment time-slots were all filled .
I heard nothing more on the matter for over a year .
On November 21 , 2019 , the bishop came unexpectedly to Rocky Mount .
We met in my office there that day .
He ordered me to remove my blog from the web @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for specifics about his objections , so that we could discuss the matter in detail .
He declined to discuss anything with me .
On December 14 , I wrote to the bishop , asking him to reconsider .
I proposed a means by which we could resolve the matter .
The bishop responded by proposing that we meet in early February of this year .
I arranged the meeting with the bishop ’ s secretary .
Then I wrote back , once again expressing my hope that we could discuss the specifics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then , on February 5 , 2020 , I traveled with two companions to meet with the bishop in his office in Richmond .
( I mentioned this second meeting to you at Mass on January 12 , and again on February 9 . )
Once again , we asked the bishop to identify blog posts he found offensive , so that we could discuss them , and I could make corrections .
And once again , the bishop declined to have such a discussion .
The bishop ’ s letter to you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
He provides no context .
All of these posts involve fairly long and complex subject matter , and all of them have a careful line of argument .
In his letter to you , the bishop simply ignores the issues at hand .
In my blog , I have tried to engage the facts about the sex-abuse scandal in the Church .
We can trust God to lead us forward , when we live in the truth .
By writing out my point-of-view on my blog , I have opened my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will continue to do so .
I think that ’ s the best way , the most truly Catholic and Christian way .
I believe open and honest self-expression offers the path to true harmony and unity in our Church .
Bishop Knestout has helped us all with his letter .
He has given us an opportunity to reflect on the state of our beloved Church .
He has reminded us about Christian obedience : namely , that we must always seek the will of Christ , and follow it with unsparing love @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little over a week since Fr .
White received the news from Bishop Knestout that he had been abruptly reassigned .
He says he hopes that the bishop will follow canon law in dealing with his appeal to remain as pastors at St. Joseph ’ s and St. Francis of Assisi .
“ But he ’ s given me no reason to believe that that ’ s what he ’ s going to do , ” White told Crux recently .
“ I believe his next move is to not cooperate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to initiate a dismissal procedure based on me not obeying him.
” “ And I hope that I will get justice in that process , but part of what I ’ ve been writing about is the fact that the quest for justice by victims in the Church has been almost impossible to see through in the end , ” White continued .
“ I want it to be clear that I want to be an obedient priest .
All I want to do is do my duty as a priest , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hero , ” he added .
“ I ’ m resisting the bishop at this moment to guarantee that we follow the rules properly .
”

'I want it to be clear that I want to be an obedient priest. All I want to do is do my duty as a priest.'
Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world: Feed your flock Sign the petition here.
MARTINSVILLE, Virginia, April 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A priest whose bishop removed him from his pastoral duties at two rural parishes ostensibly due to blog entries critical of the Church’s handling of the clergy sex scandal has insisted on remaining at his post until established Church law has run its course.
After Archbishop Viganò published his testimony about Pope-Francis covering-up for sex-abuser McCarrick in August, 2018, Fr. Mark White of the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia began using his blog to spotlight the ineffectiveness of the Church in dealing with the sexual abuse scandal, especially regarding the Church’s handling of the McCarrick revelations. He was, at times, critical of Pope Francis, and sometimes used infelicitous language when pointing out the incompetence as well as the cover-up he witnessed in the Church’s hierarchy.
Richmond Bishop Barry Knestout ordered Fr. White to shut down his blog in November 2019, and White obliged.
When the coronavirus pandemic brought an end to public Masses and sacramental life in general last month, Fr. White sought permission from Bishop Knestout to resurrect his blog as a means of staying in touch with parishioners who were now isolated from the sacraments and from each other.
I wrote “to the bishop … with my canonical arguments and asked that, especially considering the imminent need we priests will have to communicate over the internet, he formally remove his threat to remove me if I publish my blog,” White said at the time.
After receiving no response from Knestout, White, in what amounts to defiance of his bishop’s standing order, went ahead and reinstituted his blog, which he used to share his homilies and past musings on current events such as the untimely death of basketball great, Kobe Bryant.
His action ultimately prompted Knestout to inform him on Easter Monday that he was being removed as pastor of both Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Rocky Mount and Saint Joseph’s in Martinsville and reassigned as a prison chaplain, necessitating a move two hours away.
At that point, working in conjunction with his canon lawyer, Fr. White asserted his right to ask his bishop to follow the procedure for removal of a pastor as prescribed in canon law.
A bishop cannot remove a pastor “without following a detailed and non-negotiable process defined by canon law,” according to a 2018 article by Catholic News Agency editors, J.D. Flynn and Ed Condon, both of whom are canon lawyers.
“During this whole process, the bishop can neither remove the pastor nor appoint a replacement,” they wrote.
“I don’t intend to go anywhere until the canonical process has run its full course,” White told the local newspaper, the Martinsville Bulletin, on Easter Monday evening. “As a sitting pastor, I have the right to recourse before being removed.”
Following his appeal to the bishop to follow canonical guidelines, Fr. White and parishioners were surprised when Episcopal Vicar Fr. Kevin Segerblom ––who had been delegated to temporarily oversee the Martinsville and Rocky Mount parishes–– showed up at St. Francis of Assisi parish on Saturday a little while before a live-streamed Mass was about to begin, informing him that he, not White, would be conducting Mass.
Not long before Mass was to begin, Bishop Knestout also showed up to concelebrate with Segerblom.
In the end, all three concelebrated the Mass performed before a smartphone and broadcast via Facebook. The Mass can be viewed here.
“Father White and I are at odds,” Bishop Knestout said during his homily.
“What is this about?” he asked rhetorically.
“Some say it’s about the abuse scandal, and my desire to tamp it down,” said Knestout. “I don’t believe that’s the case.”
“I believe it’s about communion,” he declared, “about a communion that needs to and should be established and exist between any bishop and priests.”
Knestout went on to recount that while he was vicar general in the Archdiocese of Washington where Fr. White was ordained, and later as Bishop of Richmond, the two had a history of friction where “injuries occurred.” As such, he suggested that the ongoing drama might be based in an “old wound that was never really dealt with.”
Bishop Knestout’s message did not sit well with some of Fr. White’s parishioners.
The next day, at St. Joseph’s where he was preparing for a live-stream Sunday Mass, dozens of cars converged in the parking lot ––horns honking and many sporting homemade signs–– as a show of support for Fr. White.
A year-and-a-half-long drama
LifeSiteNews reported on the long and complex drama between Bishop Knestout and Fr. White up and until mid-February in a February 20 article titled, “US bishop orders priest to delete blog criticizing Church’s sex abuse cover-up.”
Since then, tensions have escalated and show no signs of abating in the foreseeable future. In late March, both Bishop Knestout and Fr. White published letters addressing the situation from their own perspectives.
“For months, you may have read his written public communications or his words within the secular media,” began Bishop Knestout’s March 19 letter, sent to the members of Fr. Mark White’s two parishes and also published as an op-ed in the local newspaper. “For months, I have chosen to remain silent in the hopes of remedying the situation internally. But, relying on the Holy Spirit, I feel a pressing need to address my concerns with you as members of this diocese entrusted to my care.”
He continued:
For more than a year, in fact since the fall of 2018, in my judgment Father Mark White has worked against the unity of the Church, promoted disrespect for the Holy Father, the Church hierarchy, his bishop, and has demonstrated a will adverse to obedience to the bishop of his diocese, which he took an oath to uphold at his ordination. This has occurred on his website through a series of blog posts under the general heading of “the McCarrick case, the PA Grand Jury Report, the February 2019 Vatican Meeting, and the Scandal in general” beginning (according to Father White’s own index) from Nov. 17, 2018 to Oct. 3, 2019. Numerous efforts urging Father White to refrain from inflammatory comments or “posting” on his blog have resulted in his attempt to publicly ridicule or embarrass his bishop. (See, for example, Sept. 20, 2018 and Nov. 13, 2019 now republished on his website in direct contradiction to my instruction to him of Nov. 21, 2019).
He added:
In following Father White’s blog postings, if one only considers headlines, for example —“Pope Francis a Heretic” [May 3, 2019]; or “The Opaque ‘Transparency’ of the Richmond Diocese” [Jan. 31, 2019], or “The College of Lying Cowards” [May 24, 2019] — it is clear Father White is publishing headlines that shock and sensationalize in order to draw attention. As is evident simply from the dates given in Father White’s own index, my efforts to speak to him or dissuade him from the inflammatory and contemptuous comments have been proven fruitless as seen in a few of the following quotations from the same blog: Feb. 21, 2019: “I despise everyone in the pope’s Roman meeting. I despise them all.” [bold print in the original]; Feb. 25, 2019 [headline]: “Count the Holy See among the abusers”; [after McCarrick’s dismissal]: “So, if the reigning pope had any real integrity as an honest judge, he would have recused himself altogether from the McCarrick case” […]”these days dangerous, dishonest Mafiosi run the one, true Church of Jesus Christ” [bold text in the original].
Fr. White sent a letter dated March 23 to members of his two parishes, responding to what Knestout had said a few days earlier.
“I want you to know that I wrote Bishop Knestout six days before his letter to you. In my letter to him, I discussed the state of affairs with my weblog. He received my letter that day, Friday, March 13. He has yet to respond to my letter, or even acknowledge it,” wrote White.
“Second, there is a significant factual inaccuracy in the bishop’s letter to you. He writes that he invited me ‘to meet with him privately,’ yet each time I ‘refused or demurred,’” asserted White. “This is not true.”
Fr. White went on to challenge Bishop Knestout’s recounting of the interactions between the two:
In early September of 2018, the bishop ordered me to remove a post from my blog, and I complied. That led to a written dialogue, which you can read at https://frmarkdwhite.wordpress.com/bishop-knestout-letter-to-parishioners/ . On September 22, 2018, I e-mailed the bishop, suggesting that we meet at the upcoming annual priests’ convocation to discuss his concerns. (I have my e-mail to him in my computer archive.) He never replied. At the convocation, he announced that his appointment time-slots were all filled. I heard nothing more on the matter for over a year. On November 21, 2019, the bishop came unexpectedly to Rocky Mount. We met in my office there that day. He ordered me to remove my blog from the web entirely. I complied. I asked for specifics about his objections, so that we could discuss the matter in detail. He declined to discuss anything with me. On December 14, I wrote to the bishop, asking him to reconsider. I proposed a means by which we could resolve the matter. The bishop responded by proposing that we meet in early February of this year. I arranged the meeting with the bishop’s secretary. Then I wrote back, once again expressing my hope that we could discuss the specifics of his concerns with my weblog. Then, on February 5, 2020, I traveled with two companions to meet with the bishop in his office in Richmond. (I mentioned this second meeting to you at Mass on January 12, and again on February 9.) Once again, we asked the bishop to identify blog posts he found offensive, so that we could discuss them, and I could make corrections. And once again, the bishop declined to have such a discussion.
He continued:
The bishop’s letter to you provides titles of posts and quotes from them. He provides no context. All of these posts involve fairly long and complex subject matter, and all of them have a careful line of argument. In his letter to you, the bishop simply ignores the issues at hand. In my blog, I have tried to engage the facts about the sex-abuse scandal in the Church. We can trust God to lead us forward, when we live in the truth. By writing out my point-of-view on my blog, I have opened my mind and heart to you. I will continue to do so. I think that’s the best way, the most truly Catholic and Christian way. I believe open and honest self-expression offers the path to true harmony and unity in our Church. Bishop Knestout has helped us all with his letter. He has given us an opportunity to reflect on the state of our beloved Church. He has reminded us about Christian obedience: namely, that we must always seek the will of Christ, and follow it with unsparing love and devotion.
It’s been a little over a week since Fr. White received the news from Bishop Knestout that he had been abruptly reassigned. He says he hopes that the bishop will follow canon law in dealing with his appeal to remain as pastors at St. Joseph’s and St. Francis of Assisi.
“But he’s given me no reason to believe that that’s what he’s going to do,” White told Crux recently. “I believe his next move is to not cooperate in the removal of a pastor procedure but to initiate a dismissal procedure based on me not obeying him.”
“And I hope that I will get justice in that process, but part of what I’ve been writing about is the fact that the quest for justice by victims in the Church has been almost impossible to see through in the end,” White continued.
“I want it to be clear that I want to be an obedient priest. All I want to do is do my duty as a priest, I don’t want to be a hero,” he added. “I’m resisting the bishop at this moment to guarantee that we follow the rules properly.”
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lifesitenews--2020-04-24--Backlash from conservatives as Trudeau proposes policing coronavirus ‘misinformation’

PRAYER PLEDGE : Rally around the Cross to end the coronavirus pandemic Sign the petition here .
ONTARIO , April 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Prominent Canadian opposition politicians and political pundits have criticized news that Canada ’ s ruling Liberal Party is planning a law to punish citizens who “ spread misinformation ” about the coronavirus .
In an opinion piece dated April 17 , Rex Murphy , a well known Canadian commentator and author who writes for the National Post , directly rejected the idea .
“ Don ’ t even think of it .
Better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greta Thunberg : how dare you ?
There is already a government that has that power , and in some cases brutally exercises it .
That is the government of the Communist Party of China , ” said Murphy .
“ So , let ’ s tap this serpent of an idea on its little head before its fangs emerge and it develops a real appetite.
” Last week , Canadian Privy Council president Dominic LeBlanc said in a CBC report that he is interested in drafting legislation that would make it a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misinformation ” regarding the coronavirus .
His idea has the support of NDP M.P .
Charlie Angus , who said in the CBC report , “ I think it would be reasonable to enact with the RCMP , with our security officials and some public officials , a team to monitor disinformation and have the power to shut it down so it does not interfere with the efforts of our front-line medical workers.
” LeBlanc told the CBC that he has an interest in a similar law in the United Kingdom that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Collins .
In a press conference late last week , Conservative Party of Canada leader Andrew Scheer soundly rejected the idea there should be such a a coronavirus “ misinformation ” law .
“ We ’ re always very concerned when this government starts talking about free speech issues ; they ’ ve got a terrible history over the past few years of proposing ideas that would infringe upon free speech , ” said Scheer in a press conference last Thursday .
“ Anytime this government starts talking about regulating what people can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conversation with a great deal of healthy skepticism.
” Scheer went on to note that the Trudeau Liberals should look no farther than themselves regarding the spread of coronavirus “ misinformation.
” “ If we ’ re talking about misinformation , this government needs to look in the mirror .
You know , this is the government that said travel restrictions and closing the border wouldn ’ t work until they were forced to do those very things , ” said Scheer .
“ This government should worry about getting its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running to become the next leaders of the Conservative Party also took aim at the suggested law .
M.P .
and Conservative leadership candidate Derek Sloan blasted the proposal , saying via Twitter , “ This is a terrible idea .
Is their aim fighting the virus or fighting your freedom of expression ?
” Leslyn Lewis , another pro-life candidate in the Conservative Party leadership race , weighed in .
She said via Twitter with a link to Murphy ’ s column , “ Liberals want to limit free speech on COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after promoting these false statements : 1 ) It ’ s racist to limit flights from infected nations ; 2 ) Masks aren ’ t useful ; 3 ) The underreported Chinese data was fact .
# cdnpoli.
” “ With the benefit of hindsight , much of what was said about the virus and the appropriate response to it , including by governments themselves , will prove to be misinformation , ” Lisa D.S .
Bildy , a lawyer for the Canada-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms , told LifeSiteNews .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to communicate their theories , ideas , strategies or other viewpoints that go against the government ’ s current position is censorship and it is unconstitutional.
” As for Murphy , his column also criticized the Trudeau government for its failure to close the borders earlier as well as its close relationship with China .
He said , “ The Chinese government confounded , confused and lied about a plague that has now hobbled the whole planet.
” Broadcaster and journalist Andrew Lawton spoke with Scheer this week about the “ misinformation ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Regarding the WHO , Scheer told Lawton , “ As you say , the World Health Organization data is populated by data from China .
Garbage in , garbage out .
We have to have a healthier dose of skepticism when looking at that.
” Also last week , Rebel News broke the story that the Trudeau Liberals sent almost $ 1 million of taxpayer money to help fund “ research ” for new COVID-19 “ screening and diagnosis ” tools at the Chinese lab where the virus is suspected to have originated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scheer noted that he is not surprised that the Trudeau Liberals would attempt to limit free speech , given their recent idea to force news agencies and journalists to be licensed .
In February , minister of Canadian heritage Steven Guilbeault remarked during an interview with CTV ’ s Evan Solomon that news websites should be required to be licensed like radio and television broadcasters .
Despite backtracking from his comments , Guilbeault nevertheless was faced with a flurry of backlash that he was trying to regulate all news media in Canada .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ government ’ s report recommending a ” media registry ” for news outlets in Canada scares the “ hell out of me.
” Scheer told Trudeau that he is “ suspicious ” of the licensing proposal .
“ It ’ s no wonder that Canadians are suspicious about this ; this is the same prime minister who has admiration for China ’ s basic dictatorship , the same prime minister who , he praised … Fidel Castro , a man who is responsible for the death of millions , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding of $ 3 million would be distributed to various groups to counter online coronavirus “ misinformation.
” The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc President of the Queen ’ s Privy Council for Canada Constituency Office Main office - Shediac 328 Main Street Suite I Shediac , New Brunswick E4P 2E3 Telephone : 506-533-5700 Fax : 506-533-5888 Justin Trudeau — Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa , ON K1A 0A2 Fax : 613-941-6900 Email : [ email protected ] https : //pm.gc.ca/en/connect/contact

'Don't even think of it,' said one media commentator, while Conservative leader Andrew Scheer called for 'healthy skepticism' of the initiative.
PRAYER PLEDGE: Rally around the Cross to end the coronavirus pandemic Sign the petition here.
ONTARIO, April 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Prominent Canadian opposition politicians and political pundits have criticized news that Canada’s ruling Liberal Party is planning a law to punish citizens who “spread misinformation” about the coronavirus.
In an opinion piece dated April 17, Rex Murphy, a well known Canadian commentator and author who writes for the National Post, directly rejected the idea.
“Don’t even think of it. Better still, to borrow a phrase from Greta Thunberg: how dare you? There is already a government that has that power, and in some cases brutally exercises it. That is the government of the Communist Party of China,” said Murphy.
“So, let’s tap this serpent of an idea on its little head before its fangs emerge and it develops a real appetite.”
Last week, Canadian Privy Council president Dominic LeBlanc said in a CBC report that he is interested in drafting legislation that would make it a criminal offense in Canada to “spread misinformation” regarding the coronavirus.
His idea has the support of NDP M.P. Charlie Angus, who said in the CBC report, “I think it would be reasonable to enact with the RCMP, with our security officials and some public officials, a team to monitor disinformation and have the power to shut it down so it does not interfere with the efforts of our front-line medical workers.”
LeBlanc told the CBC that he has an interest in a similar law in the United Kingdom that is being advocated by British M.P. Damian Collins.
The Liberal government, under pro-abortion Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has tried to censor independent media in Canada before. In late 2019, they went against social media companies to combat “misinformation.”
In a press conference late last week, Conservative Party of Canada leader Andrew Scheer soundly rejected the idea there should be such a a coronavirus “misinformation” law.
“We’re always very concerned when this government starts talking about free speech issues; they’ve got a terrible history over the past few years of proposing ideas that would infringe upon free speech,” said Scheer in a press conference last Thursday.
“Anytime this government starts talking about regulating what people can say and not say we start off the conversation with a great deal of healthy skepticism.”
Scheer went on to note that the Trudeau Liberals should look no farther than themselves regarding the spread of coronavirus “misinformation.”
“If we’re talking about misinformation, this government needs to look in the mirror. You know, this is the government that said travel restrictions and closing the border wouldn’t work until they were forced to do those very things,” said Scheer.
“This government should worry about getting its own information right.”
Pro-Life Leadership Candidates Speak Out
Pro-life candidates in the running to become the next leaders of the Conservative Party also took aim at the suggested law.
M.P. and Conservative leadership candidate Derek Sloan blasted the proposal, saying via Twitter, “This is a terrible idea. Is their aim fighting the virus or fighting your freedom of expression?”
Leslyn Lewis, another pro-life candidate in the Conservative Party leadership race, weighed in.
She said via Twitter with a link to Murphy’s column, “Liberals want to limit free speech on COVID-19? Ironic they want to police truth after promoting these false statements: 1) It’s racist to limit flights from infected nations; 2) Masks aren’t useful; 3) The underreported Chinese data was fact. #cdnpoli.”
“With the benefit of hindsight, much of what was said about the virus and the appropriate response to it, including by governments themselves, will prove to be misinformation,” Lisa D.S. Bildy, a lawyer for the Canada-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, told LifeSiteNews.
“Any attempt to muzzle peoples’ ability to communicate their theories, ideas, strategies or other viewpoints that go against the government’s current position is censorship and it is unconstitutional.”
As for Murphy, his column also criticized the Trudeau government for its failure to close the borders earlier as well as its close relationship with China. He said, “The Chinese government confounded, confused and lied about a plague that has now hobbled the whole planet.”
Broadcaster and journalist Andrew Lawton spoke with Scheer this week about the “misinformation” law as well as the WHO. Regarding the WHO, Scheer told Lawton, “As you say, the World Health Organization data is populated by data from China. Garbage in, garbage out. We have to have a healthier dose of skepticism when looking at that.”
Also last week, Rebel News broke the story that the Trudeau Liberals sent almost $1 million of taxpayer money to help fund “research” for new COVID-19 “screening and diagnosis” tools at the Chinese lab where the virus is suspected to have originated.
In his Thursday press conference, Scheer noted that he is not surprised that the Trudeau Liberals would attempt to limit free speech, given their recent idea to force news agencies and journalists to be licensed.
In February, minister of Canadian heritage Steven Guilbeault remarked during an interview with CTV’s Evan Solomon that news websites should be required to be licensed like radio and television broadcasters.
Despite backtracking from his comments, Guilbeault nevertheless was faced with a flurry of backlash that he was trying to regulate all news media in Canada. One Conservative M.P. said the Trudeau government’s report recommending a ”media registry” for news outlets in Canada scares the “hell out of me.”
Scheer told Trudeau that he is “suspicious” of the licensing proposal.
“It’s no wonder that Canadians are suspicious about this; this is the same prime minister who has admiration for China’s basic dictatorship, the same prime minister who, he praised … Fidel Castro, a man who is responsible for the death of millions,” he said.
In early April, Guilbeault announced that funding of $3 million would be distributed to various groups to counter online coronavirus “misinformation.”
Contact:
The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada
Constituency Office
Main office – Shediac
328 Main Street
Suite I
Shediac, New Brunswick
E4P 2E3
Telephone: 506-533-5700
Fax: 506-533-5888
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault – Minister of Canadian Heritage
15 Eddy Street, 12th Floor
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0M5
Telephone: 819-997-7788
Email: [email protected]
Justin Trudeau — Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
Fax: 613-941-6900
Email: [email protected]
https://pm.gc.ca/en/connect/contact
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lifesitenews--2020-04-24--Chicago Catholics urge Cdl. Cupich to help ease state restrictions so churches can re-open

CHICAGO , Illinois , April 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Two weeks ago on Good Friday a small group of Catholics prayed outside Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago as a way of expressing their desire for churches to be deemed “ essential ” during the COVID-19 outbreak .
Lisa Bergman , the head organizer of that event who runs St. Augustine Academy Press , appeared yet again outside the cathedral today at 12 pm noon to pray the rosary .
But this time , she was joined by more than 30 Catholics , including long-time pro-life activists Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President and Vice President of Pro-life Action League , respectively .
Earlier this week , the three co-authored a letter imploring Chicago ’ s Archbishop , Cardinal Blase Cupich , to ask Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker to “ strike down unreasonable restrictions that make it virtually impossible for Catholics to practice their religion ” during the coronavirus outbreak ( read the full letter below ) .
At the prayerful gathering today , one woman brought a sign that read , “ Cardinal Cupich : Please Restore the Sacraments.
” A statue of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the doors of the cathedral while laity prayed on their knees .
Bergman said police passed by on multiple occasions but never stopped , and that several people smiled at or gave a thumbs-up as they walked past .
Scheidler and his wife informed LifeSite that after reaching out to Cupich ’ s office this week they were promised a meeting with the Cardinal in the coming days to discuss their ideas .
Scheidler said that the rosary today was “ not a protest ” but “ a celebration ” of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-opening of churches , given that they follow all social distancing guidelines .
Bergman told LifeSite via email that “ the reason this country exists…is because men and women were willing to give up everything in order to worship God the way they believed He wanted them to.
” “ Our faith , ” she added , “ really is just as important as the food we eat and the air we breathe.
” Below is the letter the three sent to Cardinal Cupich .
It has now been six weeks since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was suspended , along with the celebration of all sacraments .
I ’ m sure this has been as painful to you as it is to us .
To have to settle for watching Palm Sunday Mass and Easter Sunday Mass on television or computer was particularly sad .
We are thankful that at least those opportunities were available .
But we Catholics need to get back to a real , present Mass and to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament .
In some dioceses parking lot Masses have been authorized .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we could easily follow the social distancing protocols and advise those at greater risk to refrain from attendance .
Perhaps you have a plan in mind already .
Thank you so much for the arrangement for specially trained priests to minister to the sick and dying .
We are coming to you as the leader of the Church of Chicago to ask for help .
We implore you to ask the Governor JB Pritzker to ease restrictions so that the Church can minister to her people in whatever safe way can be worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day of St. Catherine of Siena , who famously convinced Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome , and who interceded with secular authorities in peace negotiations .
Let us pray for the intercession of St. Catherine to get our churches open again , We would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you about these concerns .
Our phone numbers and email addresses are included below .

Pro-life warriors Joe Scheidler, his wife Ann, and Lisa Bergman have written a letter to Cardinal Cupich asking him to speak with the Governor.
Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world: Feed your flock Sign the petition here.
CHICAGO, Illinois, April 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Two weeks ago on Good Friday a small group of Catholics prayed outside Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago as a way of expressing their desire for churches to be deemed “essential” during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Lisa Bergman, the head organizer of that event who runs St. Augustine Academy Press, appeared yet again outside the cathedral today at 12 pm noon to pray the rosary. But this time, she was joined by more than 30 Catholics, including long-time pro-life activists Joe Scheidler and his wife Ann, the President and Vice President of Pro-life Action League, respectively.
Earlier this week, the three co-authored a letter imploring Chicago’s Archbishop, Cardinal Blase Cupich, to ask Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker to “strike down unreasonable restrictions that make it virtually impossible for Catholics to practice their religion” during the coronavirus outbreak (read the full letter below).
At the prayerful gathering today, one woman brought a sign that read, “Cardinal Cupich: Please Restore the Sacraments.” A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was placed in front of the doors of the cathedral while laity prayed on their knees. Bergman said police passed by on multiple occasions but never stopped, and that several people smiled at or gave a thumbs-up as they walked past.
Scheidler and his wife informed LifeSite that they reached out to Cupich’s office to try and schdule a meeting in the coming days to discuss their ideas. Scheidler said that the rosary today was “not a protest” but “a celebration” of an expectation that Governor Pritzker will allow the re-opening of churches, given that they follow all social distancing guidelines.
Bergman told LifeSite via email that “the reason this country exists…is because men and women were willing to give up everything in order to worship God the way they believed He wanted them to.”
“Our faith,” she added, “really is just as important as the food we eat and the air we breathe.”
Below is the letter the three sent to Cardinal Cupich.
April 22, 2020 Your Eminence Blase Cardinal Cupich Archbishop of Chicago Dear Cardinal Cupich, It has now been six weeks since the celebration of Mass in our parish churches was suspended, along with the celebration of all sacraments. I’m sure this has been as painful to you as it is to us. To have to settle for watching Palm Sunday Mass and Easter Sunday Mass on television or computer was particularly sad. We are thankful that at least those opportunities were available. But we Catholics need to get back to a real, present Mass and to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In some dioceses parking lot Masses have been authorized. Many of our churches are large enough that we could easily follow the social distancing protocols and advise those at greater risk to refrain from attendance. Perhaps you have a plan in mind already. Thank you so much for the arrangement for specially trained priests to minister to the sick and dying. We are coming to you as the leader of the Church of Chicago to ask for help. We implore you to ask the Governor JB Pritzker to ease restrictions so that the Church can minister to her people in whatever safe way can be worked out. April 29th is the feast day of St. Catherine of Siena, who famously convinced Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome, and who interceded with secular authorities in peace negotiations. Let us pray for the intercession of St. Catherine to get our churches open again, We would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you about these concerns. Our phone numbers and email addresses are included below. Respectfully in Christ, Joseph M. Scheidler [email protected] 773-724-1166 Ann Scheidler [email protected] 312-965-1030 Lisa Bergman St. Augustine Academy Press [email protected] 708-645-4691
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lifesitenews--2020-04-24--Cops fine Ontario pastor $880 for having 5 people for dinner during COVID-19

PETITION : Thank President Trump for halting U.S. funding to pro-abortion World Health Organization Sign the petition here .
CORNWALL , Ontario , April 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — An Ontario pastor was fined for violating “ social distancing ” health rules because he held “ a seder night ” at his residence .
Rebel News first reported about the incident , which took place earlier in the month .
A video report of the altercation shows Cornwall police handing Pastor Andre Rose , who runs Watchman Ministries , a fine for $ 880 .
According to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tipped off by neighbors that Rose was holding an event at his home .
“ So , you guys know the Canadian Charter , right ?
We have the right to peaceful assembly , ” says Rose to the police officer .
The officer can be heard saying that yes , you do have that right but “ this is a state of emergency we are under.
” Rose was told by police that he had to disassemble or face a fine .
He refused and was served the fine , saying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paying it.
” Rose said there were five adults in total in attendance at his home for the seder night .
In the Rebel News report , Rose noted his alarm regarding the fine .
“ Frankly , this is my home and we were celebrating Passover weekend , ” Rose said in the video report .
“ I think it ’ s malicious , what they ’ re doing right now , and I strongly feel like , you know , this is a hit for not just people that do have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t .
It ’ s causing a lot of problems in society.
” In the video , Rebel News reporter David Menzies asks Rose if the fine amount is a big deal , to which Rose says , “ $ 880 feeds me , my wife and my son for almost two months .
That ’ s a lot of money.
” Rebel News will be providing Rose with a lawyer to help him fight the fine , with funds from its crowdfunded initiative called FightTheFines.com .
In the video report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyer retained by Rebel News to help Rose fight his fine .
Goldstein says this case intrigued him because he is concerned that authorities are overreaching , abusing “ the powers that have been given to them under the emergencies act ” during the pandemic .
“ The charter is still supreme law in this country , ” said Goldstein .
Rose ’ s fine is not unique in Canada .
In early April , a Calgary , Alberta street preacher was fined $ 1,200 for breaking social distancing health rules after refusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feeding the homeless .
Rebel News is also assisting the Alberta street preacher .
Recently , health authorities from Saskatchewan banned a drive-in Easter Sunday service at a small-town Canadian church , saying it would have constituted a “ mass gathering ” in violation of its coronavirus health orders .
The Canada-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms ( JCFF ) served a legal warning to the Saskatchewan Health Authority , saying it had violated the rights and freedoms of worshipers from the Nipawin Apostolic Church .
The government of Saskatchewan later reversed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious services and issued guidelines that recognize the right for churches to hold such services as long as safety precautions are heeded .
A few weeks ago , the JCCF warned that Canadians ’ rights are being trampled because of the coronavirus lockdown measures .
The Alberta government is toying with the idea of using people ’ s cell phones to track one ’ s whereabouts in the name of combating the coronavirus .
Pro-abortion prime minister Justin Trudeau said in late March that “ all options are on the table ” when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This includes the possibility of tracking Canadians cell phones via a dedicated app or through one ’ s cell phone provider .
Last week , Canadian Privy Council president Dominic LeBlanc said he is interested in drafting legislation that would make it a criminal offense in Canada to “ spread misinformation ” regarding the coronavirus that could “ harm people.
” LeBlanc ’ s idea was met with a strong backlash from opposition politicians and media pundits alike .
Canada has been in a nationwide lockdown since early March , with all public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sit-down restaurants , and most stores deemed non-essential shut .
As of today , Canada has registered just under 40,000 cases with 1,996 deaths .

The Ontario pastor was fined for violating 'social distancing' health rules because he held 'a seder night' at his residence.
PETITION: Thank President Trump for halting U.S. funding to pro-abortion World Health Organization Sign the petition here.
CORNWALL, Ontario, April 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — An Ontario pastor was fined for violating “social distancing” health rules because he held “a seder night” at his residence.
Rebel News first reported about the incident, which took place earlier in the month. A video report of the altercation shows Cornwall police handing Pastor Andre Rose, who runs Watchman Ministries, a fine for $880.
According to the Rebel News report, police were allegedly tipped off by neighbors that Rose was holding an event at his home.
“So, you guys know the Canadian Charter, right? We have the right to peaceful assembly,” says Rose to the police officer. The officer can be heard saying that yes, you do have that right but “this is a state of emergency we are under.”
Rose was told by police that he had to disassemble or face a fine. He refused and was served the fine, saying to officers, “We’re not paying it.”
Rose said there were five adults in total in attendance at his home for the seder night. In the Rebel News report, Rose noted his alarm regarding the fine.
“Frankly, this is my home and we were celebrating Passover weekend,” Rose said in the video report. “I think it’s malicious, what they’re doing right now, and I strongly feel like, you know, this is a hit for not just people that do have the coronavirus, but for those that don’t. It’s causing a lot of problems in society.”
In the video, Rebel News reporter David Menzies asks Rose if the fine amount is a big deal, to which Rose says, “$880 feeds me, my wife and my son for almost two months. That’s a lot of money.”
Rebel News will be providing Rose with a lawyer to help him fight the fine, with funds from its crowdfunded initiative called FightTheFines.com.
In the video report, Menzies interviews Sam Goldstein, the lawyer retained by Rebel News to help Rose fight his fine. Goldstein says this case intrigued him because he is concerned that authorities are overreaching, abusing “the powers that have been given to them under the emergencies act” during the pandemic.
“The charter is still supreme law in this country,” said Goldstein.
Rose’s fine is not unique in Canada. In early April, a Calgary, Alberta street preacher was fined $1,200 for breaking social distancing health rules after refusing to cancel a street service that included feeding the homeless. Rebel News is also assisting the Alberta street preacher.
Recently, health authorities from Saskatchewan banned a drive-in Easter Sunday service at a small-town Canadian church, saying it would have constituted a “mass gathering” in violation of its coronavirus health orders.
The Canada-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCFF) served a legal warning to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, saying it had violated the rights and freedoms of worshipers from the Nipawin Apostolic Church.
The government of Saskatchewan later reversed the decision by its health authority banning drive-in religious services and issued guidelines that recognize the right for churches to hold such services as long as safety precautions are heeded.
A few weeks ago, the JCCF warned that Canadians’ rights are being trampled because of the coronavirus lockdown measures. The Alberta government is toying with the idea of using people’s cell phones to track one’s whereabouts in the name of combating the coronavirus.
Pro-abortion prime minister Justin Trudeau said in late March that “all options are on the table” when it comes to combating the coronavirus. This includes the possibility of tracking Canadians cell phones via a dedicated app or through one’s cell phone provider.
Last week, Canadian Privy Council president Dominic LeBlanc said he is interested in drafting legislation that would make it a criminal offense in Canada to “spread misinformation” regarding the coronavirus that could “harm people.”
LeBlanc’s idea was met with a strong backlash from opposition politicians and media pundits alike.
Canada has been in a nationwide lockdown since early March, with all public schools, churches, sporting events, sit-down restaurants, and most stores deemed non-essential shut. As of today, Canada has registered just under 40,000 cases with 1,996 deaths.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-24--Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

April 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In response to the coronavirus crisis , LifeSite is offering Catholics throughout the world a chance to be united in praying the rosary together , at the same time , every day at 12:00 noon EST .
The rosary is led by Father Anthony Pillari , an American priest currently in Italy .
To date , Catholics from Israel , Uganda , Italy , France , Germany , Ireland , the United Kingdom , the U.S. , Canada , Mexico , Chile , Brazil , Australia , New Zealand , the Philippines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as other countries , have been joining in .
The whole world – including the Church – has been thrown into chaos because of the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) .
Thousands of people have passed away as a result of the viral outbreak , while thousands more have been sickened .
And , across the world , business has come to a grinding halt , resulting in sudden job loss and threatening economic recession .
If there ever was a time for prayer , this is it .
Catholics around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sacraments , but in many places are unable to access them because of bishops ’ orders or government restrictions .
We know that community with other believers is vital all the time , but especially during this time of global calls for “ sheltering-in-place ” and quarantine .
“ The rosary is the weapon for these times , ” St. Padre Pio said .
Through prayer , we can shape history , change the world , and bring this painful crisis to an end .
Join us today !
Send photos or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rosary with Father Pillari to [ email protected ]

(LifeSiteNews) — In response to the crisis unfolding in our world and in the Church, LifeSite is happy to promote Regina Angelorum Press’s Daily Rosary, which is offering Catholics throughout the world the chance to be united daily in prayer, in the Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Crusade.
Catholics from all over the world — from Israel, Uganda, Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Pakistan, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and other countries — are gathering daily to pray the Rosary, led by Father Pillari, JCL, MCL, STL, an American priest currently studying in Italy.
The Daily Rosary is being offered each day at 12noon EST through Regina Angelorum Press’ YouTube Channel to which you can subscribe HERE.
The goal is, by means of this Daily Rosary and by embracing and living out the message given by the Virgin Mary at Fatima, the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.
To help obtain that goal, Bishop Athanasius Schneider graciously composed the following prayer for this worldwide Rosary crusade:
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, you are the holy Mother of God and our tender Mother. Look upon the distress in which the Church and the whole of humanity are living because of the spread of materialism and the persecution of the Church. In Fatima you warned against these errors, as you spoke about the errors of Russia. You are the Mediatrix of all graces. Implore your Divine Son to grant this special grace for the Pope: that he might consecrate Russia to your Immaculate Heart, so that Russia will be converted, a period of peace will be granted to the world, and your Immaculate Heart will triumph, through an authentic renewal of the Church in the splendor of the purity of the Catholic Faith, of the sacredness of Divine worship and of the holiness of the Christian life. O Queen of the holy Rosary and our sweet Mother, turn your merciful eyes to us and graciously hear this our trusting prayer. Amen. + Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana
To learn more about the urgency of responding to Our Lady’s message at Fatima, and about what you can do, please read Cardinal Burke’s 2017 address at the Rome Life Forum.
As St. Padre Pio once said, “The Rosary is the weapon for these times.” Through prayer, God can shape history, change the world, and bring about a great time of renewal and peace for the Church and for the world, through the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. Join us today!
If you would like to follow along with the prayers said during this Rosary, you can access them HERE. The document also includes a brief F.A.Q. pertaining to the daily Rosary.
You can send your prayer requests to https://reginangelorumpress.com/prayer-intentions/
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